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Butler University peace lab hopes to create conversation on peace, social justice issues

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Posted at 11:03 PM, Oct 22, 2019
and last updated 2019-10-23 11:23:26-04

INDIANAPOLIS — A peace lab at Butler University is working to teach others about racist violence of the past and how it impacts us today.

This year, the Desmond Tutu Peace Lab at Butler traveled to the Edmund Pettus Bridge, along with several other significant Civil Rights sites, in Alabama.

Students and faculty quickly learned during their trip, there are still some struggles people face because of our country's racist past.

"It's an important lesson for them to understand that this is what occurred," Dr. Terri Jett said. "This was the struggle, now what's next?"

The trip included a visit to The National Memorial for Peace and Justice, which remembers the victims of lynching.

"I think that if we don't talk about it, it only continues the pain," Reilly Simmons said. "There's never been any sort of reparations, the least we can do is talk about it."

The peace lab focuses on creating a conversation and advocacy around peace and social justice by working with different community organizations.

If you would like to learn more or get involved with the peace lab, you can visit their website.