Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Apply for $500 Dorothy James Scholarship April 16

High school students from Delaware County are once again invited to apply for Dorothy James Scholarship, a unique award that is specifically designed to invoke thought and sensitivity around remedying social injustice, promoting interracial understanding, and respect for cultural diversity.

To be eligible for consideration, students must be Delaware County residents, high school seniors, already accepted as a freshman to college or university and MUST be enrolled in one of the pre-college preparatory programs at the College Access Center of Delaware County.

Interested candidates must be at the College Access Center of Delaware County located on the campus of Widener University-400 E. 21st Street Chester, PA from 4:00pm-6:00pm on Wednesday April 16, 2014.   Participants are also required to bring ID and a copy of their official college acceptance letter, which will be their admissions ticket into the scholarship competition.  

To compete for this $500 scholarship, prospective recipients will also have to watch a thought provoking video that raises awareness of the County’s rich history and struggle for social justice, equality, and the Dorothy James legacy.  After viewing the video, candidates will participate in a short group discussion about the video and then be asked to produce a 500-word “personal response” in the form of an essay about the video and its meaning.

The Scholarship is named after Dorothy Biddle James, (1900-1985) the great grand-daughter of Thomas Garrett who is considered a contemporary of Underground Railroad conductor, Harriett Tubman and responsible for assisting many African American families find refuge in Delaware County.  Raised in Wallingford, PA and having attended the Media Friends and Westtown Schools, Dorothy James became one of the strongest racial and human rights advocates in the region.  

Despite Media’s long Quaker history and reputation as a seat of freedom for African Americans in the County, it was the advocacy of Dorothy James that ultimately led to the integration of the Media Friends School and the formation of the Media Interracial Fellowship, today recognized as the Media Fellowship House

This scholarship will not just pay homage to this unsung heroine but also give students from the County the opportunity to carry forth her legacy of human right advocacy and social justice.





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