Freedom Fighters, the exhibition about the battle for civil fights ends with Bob Kennedy’s daughter.

“Go to school, and change the world.” It was with these words that Kathleen Kennedy, the eldest daughter of the American Senator and the General Consul of the United States of America, in Milan, Philip T. Reeker, concluded her meeting with students of the “Ferraris” High School of Sciences, in Varese.

The daughter of the US statesman, who was known for his battles to humanise the economy and for civil rights, spoke pleasantly with the young students, “playing” with them at emulating behaviours that defend civil rights, and commenting on the activity. “They’re young, they might not know the historical facts, but that doesn’t matter, because they have to deal with the events of today.” Together, they recalled the milestones of the civil rights movement in the United States and addressed the issue of human rights education, with particular reference to the issues contained in the education handbook of the Robert F. Kennedy Center, “Speak Truth to Power”, which has been used for years, in many schools in the town. 

“The exhibition “Freedom Fighters” reminds us that courage is an even rarer quality than being valiant in battle, or having extraordinary intelligence,” explained Kathleen Kennedy Townsend. “Seeing these photos inspires us to make the most difficult choices in the name of justice.”

The exhibition, “Freedom Fighters. The Kennedys and the battle for civil rights” has been open since 13 October, in the Borgo di Mustonate, Varese, and is now coming to the end. “It was a great experience to meet the visitors of Varese: to hear their comments, to see their expressions, to share emotions and see them rediscover the courage and hope for a better future,” said Francesco Aletti Montano, the director of the Robert F. Kennedy Center Europe, and owner of the Borgo di Mustonate, the Varese venue for the exhibition. 

“Our Constitution says ‘We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union …’. This exhibition reminds us that the process is still in progress, that we are still far from achieving perfection. The memory of the battle led by John and Robert Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr, encourages us to continue to fight for liberty and justice, which persists …” said Philip T. Reeker, the General Consul of the United States of America in Milan.

After its success in Florence and Milan, the exhibition, which recalls the long and difficult path of civil rights in the United States, and the role that the brothers John and Robert Kennedy had in this battle, has had great success also in Varese, with more than 500,000 visitors to the “Salone delle Scuderie” of the Borgo. Thanks to the collaboration with local schools, particularly with the “G. Ferraris” High School of Sciences, and the “E. Cairoli” High School of Classics, in Varese, several guided tours were organised to make students aware of the civil rights movement in the United States. Now, on 22 November, the exhibition will be moving to the “Cassa di Risparmio” Foundation, in La Spezia, where it will remain until 18 January of next year.