The Tunnel of Oppression is designed to tear down barriers that divide those who do not recognize oppression and acknowledge those who live in it. As Tunnel participants move through a series of rooms, they are presented with interactive skits, videos, sounds, images, and role-playing that raise awareness of acts of oppression that exist globally and in our American society. It is intended to challenge people’s ideas and perceptions of issues dealing with oppression.

Participants tour the Tunnel in small groups and afterwards are encouraged to process their experience through guided discussion, shared expression space, and personal reflection. Please allow around an hour for the total immersion into the experience.

The Tunnel Of Oppression at Philadelphia University will be held on Tuesday, April 3 from 11am-7pm and Wednesday, April 4 from 9am-5pm. Groups and/or individuals who wish to attend this year's program are strongly encouraged to sign up early via the online sign ups. Groups will leave on the hour and walk-ins are encouraged to come on the half hour for a tour.

About the Tunnel of oppression

 Tunnel of Oppression Frequently Asked Questions >>>

At Philadelphia University, The Tunnel of Oppression is a collaborative program planned by students, faculty, and staff as a part of the Unity Week celebrations. Given the many and varied forms of oppression in the world, it is impossible to cover every issue in one program. The students, faculty and staff responsible for the content of this year's tunnel have attempted to broadly cover issues and to at least begin the social justice discussion. Held on the third floor of the Kanbar Campus Center, the space is designed by the selected committee and is developed and carried out with the help of a multitude of volunteers from across the campus community.

History

The Tunnel of Oppression is a campus diversity initiative originally developed at Western Illinois University. The initiative stemmed from searching for a way to represent the realities of oppression into a full sensory experiential manner. The creators of the Tunnel of Oppression wanted to give participants the opportunity to see, touch, hear, and feel the realities of oppression as a stepping stone towards creating diversity awareness. The first Tunnel of Oppression was loosely based off of the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, CA.  The Tunnel of Oppression is intended to be eye-opening and consciousness raising and is built as a brief introductory experience for those students who have rarely experienced difference. The rationale is that students are often unable to fully understand oppression and discrimination until they have experienced it first-hand.

The experience should stimulate thoughts, feelings, and emotions around the issues and images presented.  Therefore, the Tunnel is often shocking and disturbing to those who have never experienced blatant forms of discrimination or oppression. A number of feelings can be evoked as a result of the full-sensory experience and may also be upsetting to those who have witnessed the realities of the images presented. Yet, it is important to realize that the scenes depicted in the Tunnel represent reality for those living it as a daily experience.

Unity week Calendar of Events