COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – Deadly terrorist attacks last Friday in Paris have put an edge on events in Branch County in the midst of a weeklong program educating people about Arab American culture and history at the Tibbits Opera House in Coldwater. The Tibbits partnership with the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn for the cultural diversity project has included presentations this week for students from the third grade up through high school seniors. That portion of the program has seen a rift of rumors, fears and questions posed on social media sites with many comments critical of the project.
Tibbits Executive Director Christine Delaney, commenting on the local reactions this week, stressed that the point of the program is to educate all people so they are not afraid. According to Delaney, there is nothing in this community of which we should be afraid while adding as well that there is nothing in the community which will make us a target for ISIS.
Concluding the project will be a Saturday day-long bus trip to the museum in Dearborn and the Detroit Institute of Arts.
