Spring Break
Turning a daughter's death into activism
Parents of Rachel Corrie from "My Name is Rachel Corrie" speak before and after play
Lauren Sigel
Issue date: 10/26/09 Section: News
|
The Daily Barometer
Dealing with the death of a loved one is often a difficult task in itself, but when it comes to dealing with the death of a child, a parent's grief is often too unbearable to think of anything else. But for the parents of Rachel Corrie, of the play "My name is Rachel Corrie," they took their grief and turned it around into activism.
"My Name is Rachel Corrie" follows the diary and e-mails of Evergreen State College student Rachel Corrie and was edited by Katherine Viner and Alan Rickman, who directed it. Since its premiere at the Royal Court in London in 2005, it has been performed on a national and international level.
In an hour-long presentation before Sunday's performance of "My name is Rachel Corrie," Cindy and Craig Corrie spoke to a small audience about their daughter's activist work in Rafah, a Palestinian city in the southern Gaza Strip, and how they are continuing her mission through The Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice.
"They have taken part in post-show discussions since the unveiling of the play last Thursday," said David McMurray, chair of the department of anthropology. "After Rachel was killed, they became passionate and involved with the issues in Gaza and are now activists."
Rachel Corrie, a member of the International Solidarity Movement, was killed on March 16, 2003 during a protest against the destruction of Palestinian homes by the Israel Defense Forces. She was trying to prevent the demolition of the home of a Palestinian family when she was crushed by an armored bulldozer.
The very night that Craig and Cindy Corrie received the news of their daughter's death, they knew it was their responsibility to carry on the mission that Rachel had started in Rafah.
"In the first hours after Rachel's death, we knew it called for action on our part," said Cindy Corrie. "Before Rachel went to Rafah, we had no personal connection to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, so it was easy to brush aside. However, through Rachel's e-mails and dedication, she became our personal connection. The day she was killed, we knew that we had to pick up where she left off and get her [words] out to the world."
Note: writers will not reply to comments.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Valerie Goodness
posted 10/26/09 @ 7:09 AM PST
RIP Rachel Corrie. The message of carnage in Palestine needs to be sent. Palestinian boys throw rocks at bulldozers that plow down their homes and villages all for the purpose of expanding Israeli settlements. (Continued…)
Post a Comment
Comments by registered users are approved by default.