WILMINGTON, Ohio — The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Those who love peace must learn to organize as effectively as those who love war.” The 34th-annual Westheimer Peace Symposium will put those sentiments into action with three days of performances, workshops and art from Sept. 30 through Oct. 2.
A Festival of Nonviolence will open on Sept. 30 with the keynote talk and performance from the Grammy Award-winning American rapper and songwriter, Rhymefest, at 7 p.m., in Hugh G. Heiland Theatre at Wilmington College. Che Armond Smith, better known by his stage name, Rhymefest, is best known for his work with fellow Chicago rapper Kanye West, with writing credits on his songs. Rhymefest earned five nominations for Grammy Awards, winning in 2005 for Best Rap Song (“Jesus Walks”) and 2016’s Best Song Written for Visual Media (“Glory”).
The schedule for Oct. 1 includes Community Peacemakers Nonviolent Direct Action, 9 to 11 a.m., T. Canby Jones Meetinghouse/Quaker Heritage Center; “Peace from the Soil: Finding Peace in Agricultural Projects,” 9 to 11 a.m., Watson Library Classroom 1; “Bridging Divides” with Che “Rhymefest” Smith and Rob Mullins, 11:20 a.m. to 12:50 p.m., McCoy Room, Kelly Center; People’s Banner Workshop, 1 to 2:40 p.m., Makerspace, Robinson Communication Center; “Foundation for Peacebuilding,” featuring Lucy Steinitz, 1 to 2:40 p.m. T. Canby Jones Meetinghouse, Quaker Heritage Center in Boyd Cultural Arts Center; Quaker Pirate Graffiti Workshop, 1 to 2:40 p.m., McCoy Room, Kelly Center; Radio Rasquache, 2:40 to 4:10 p.m., Makerspace, Robinson Communication Center; 1,000 Paper Cranes Workshop, 2:40 to 4:10 p.m., Watson Library Classroom 1; Megapuppetry, 2:40 to 4:10 p.m., McCoy Room, Kelly Center; and Festival Parade (starts at the Simon Goodman Memorial Carillon), 4:30 p.m.
Also, two exhibitions will be featured all day on Oct. 1 and 2, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. “Graffiti as Witness,” with an artist’s talk on Oct. 1, at 5:30 p.m., Quaker Heritage Center in Boyd Cultural Arts Center; and “Ceramics for the Nuclear Age,” with special dedication, on Oct. 1, at 6 p.m., Harcum Art Gallery in Boyd Cultural Arts Center.
The Oct. 2 schedule of events includes Community Peacemakers Nonviolent Direct Action, 9 to 11 a.m., T. Canby Jones Meetinghouse, Quaker Heritage Center in Boyd Cultural Arts Center; “Peace from the Soil: Finding Peace in Agricultural Projects,” 9 to 11 a.m., Watson Library Classroom 1; 1,000 Paper Cranes Workshop, 11:20 a.m. to 12:50 p.m., Watson Library Classroom 1; Megapuppetry, 11:20 a.m. to 12:50 p.m., McCoy Room, Kelly Center; “Foundation for Peacebuilding,” featuring Lucy Steinitz, 1 to 2:40 p.m. T. Canby Jones Meetinghouse, Quaker Heritage Center in Boyd Cultural Arts Center; People’s Banner Workshop, 1 to 2:40 p.m., Makerspace, Robinson Communication Center; Quaker Pirate Graffiti Workshop, 2:40 to 4:10 p.m., McCoy Room, Kelly Center; Radio Rasquache, 2:40 to 4:10 p.m., Makerspace, Robinson Communication Center; and Festival Parade (starts at the Simon Goodman Memorial Carillon), 4:30 p.m.
All events and activities are free and open to the public, however, registration is requested at https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/2024-wps-a-festival-of-nonviolence-3517829.
