Friends of PASCEP Community Action Council 9/8/08
Letter to the Community
The Friends of PASCEP Community Action Council was formed by former instructors, students, vendors and community activists to fight for and uphold the quality and conditions that PASCEP (Pan-African Studies Community Education Program) had come to over its thirty three year history. Our specific fight is against Temple University’s administration and their blatantly disrespectful and destructive tactics towards the North Philadelphia community and specifically towards PASCEP.
Unfortunately the words of one individual have been taken by those in opposition to our cause and efforts have been made to undermine the sincerity of the FPCAC by attempting to connect the extremely disrespectful and hostile language of this one person to a group comprised of over a dozen core members, five committees, a large and continuously growing community following and a partnership with several local community based organizations. As a symbol of our respect and an effort to make amends, a personal letter of apology has been drafted and sent to Mrs. Hyman expressing our deepest regrets for the tone and direction that a single isolated individual and former member has taken in regards to this conflict with Temple U.
The Friends of PASCEP have privately and publicly denounced this person and their disparaging comments and taken measures to ensure that this kind of “crabs in a barrel” attitude is eradicated. The FPCAC and all of its members recognize the enormous sacrifices and struggles that the founder, Nana Annie D. Hyman and all of the elders who have come before us, have overcome to see the PASCEP program come to fruition. It is with humble appreciation that we feel the need to continue the necessary struggles to see that PASCEP has a future worthy of the time and energy put into it by the thousands of volunteers who made it what it was.
As a sign of our thanks and prior to any of these rumors, we recently organized an appreciation event honoring the staff and volunteers of PASCEP for their hard work and dedication. Phone calls, e-mails and flyers went out inviting all of the PASCEP “family” to attend. Personal phone calls also went out to Nana Hyman, all the former Directors including Yumy Odom and PASCEP Curriculum Specialist and current Interim Director, Willie Rogers. The event was a huge success with over one hundred attendees, former PASCEP vendors and several performers. Certificates of Appreciation were given out and the new course guide for PASCEP Fall of ’09 was made available to the attendees as a way of showing our support for the program and to encourage its success.
The FPCAC stands by its mission to ensure the future greatness of the outstanding community education institution known as PASCEP and to not fall into the quagmire of personal disputes, personality differences and the child-like “He say, she say” of the rumor mill that often undermines many community based causes.
Sincerely
The Friends of PASCEP Community Action Council
FPCAC
“If there is no enemy within, the enemy out side can do us no harm.” (African proverb)
