Rachel's Challenge

Last updated

Rachel's Challenge is an organization in the United States that works to reduce violence. It is a non-religious, non-profit, [1] non-political organization, led by Darrell Scott and his wife Sandy. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Rachel Scott was the first student to be killed in the Columbine High School shooting in 1999. [3] Darrell Scott, Rachel's father, established Rachel's Challenge to perpetuate his daughter's example and the two-page "Code of Ethics" she wrote a month before her death at the hands of the perpetrators of the Columbine High School shooting, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. [6] This code of ethics had included the words: "Compassion is the greatest form of love humans have to offer", [7] and Darrell Scott has stated his belief in this message forms the basis for what he both speaks at public appearances, and has written as an author.

The Rachel’s Challenge presentations are given in schools and communities by members of her family and other speakers, using video footage of the Columbine High School massacre and its aftermath, combined with Rachel Scott’s drawings and writings, in a campaign to quell school violence, bullying, and teen suicide. As of 2009, Rachel's Challenge has developed a team of 30 speakers addressing young people in schools and colleges worldwide about Rachel's example. [6] The Rachel's Challenge program includes establishing Friends of Rachel clubs in schools, following the initial presentation, to sustain the campaign's goals on a long-term basis. [8] Schools around the country have incorporated Rachel's challenge into their own clubs bringing the message to their students.

Darrell Scott

Darrell Scott has co-authored three books about his daughter's life and her impact, urging students to practice compassion and kindness. Newsweek reported that he and the organization have "reached out to thousands of schools to deliver a 'chain reaction' of hope through school assemblies, workshops and outreach programs." [9] Scott told Newsweek, "...principals and teachers always need to be on the lookout for that kid who's isolated, or that's quiet, who always stays to himself, because that's typically the type of kid who ends up exploding. They also need to create an atmosphere in the school where students share with someone if they ever hear or see a threat. We know there have been numerous school shootings prevented because a student saw another student writing that he wanted to kill someone or something like that. I think that taking every single threat of any kind seriously is of utmost importance, and again to me it's cultivating an atmosphere, a climate and a culture where everyone's accepted. Because when people feel accepted they're not going to do something like Eric and Dylan [the Columbine perpetrators] did."

Craig Scott

Rachel Scott’s younger brother Craig, a 16-year-old Columbine High School sophomore at the time of the shootings, was physically unharmed but witnessed several classmates being killed in the school library as he huddled under a table with two friends, Isaiah Shoels and Matthew Kechter—both of whom were among the fatalities. The next day, he was interviewed at length by Katie Couric on the Today show . The tearful interview, which NBC did not interrupt with normally scheduled station breaks, was described a year later by USA Today as "one of the most indelible moments of the tragedy". [10] Craig wrote of his sister Rachel, "...her love for people was less conditional than anyone I knew... It didn't matter to her what you looked like or who your friends were. Another thing I liked and respected so much was that she made it clear... what her beliefs were". [11]

Craig continues to make frequent speaking appearances on behalf of Rachel's Challenge, urging teens to strive for a classroom "atmosphere of kindness and compassion" to stem school violence. [12] He is also periodically interviewed on various television programs, such as 20/20 , Dateline NBC , and the Today show, to discuss the loss of his sister and his difficult recovery from the traumatic ordeal he experienced as an eyewitness to the murderous rampage. [13]

Work

Craig Scott with then-United States President George W. Bush at a White House meeting on October 10, 2006 President George W. Bush talks with former Columbine High School student Craig Scott.jpg
Craig Scott with then-United States President George W. Bush at a White House meeting on October 10, 2006

At the White House Conference on School Safety held in Washington, DC, on October 10, 2006, Craig Scott addressed the President of the United States, the United States Attorney General, and the Secretary of Education, saying, in part, "Kindness and compassion can be the biggest antidotes to anger and hatred, and I believe the biggest antidotes to violence. We've seen bullying stopped, incidents where a student came up with hit lists or plans to shoot up his school, and told either the speaker or told the teacher about their plans, but had a change of heart. How have we done it? We've done it with a simple story of a young girl who believed in compassion, Rachel Joy Scott. But my sister is not the only one who believes in kindness, and she's not been the only one in her brave stance against the injustice willing to stand up for the one who gets put down in school, to sit by the student that sits all alone at lunch, and to talk to or reach out to the one who is consistently ignored or made fun of. She literally has inspired millions of people to continue the chain reaction she started...". [14]

In the aftermath of the April 16, 2007, Virginia Tech shooting, Darrell and Craig Scott were interviewed on various television programs, such as Showbiz Tonight , The Oprah Winfrey Show , Fox & Friends , and Geraldo at Large , to share their thoughts about school violence and to remember Rachel Scott near the eighth anniversary of the Columbine tragedy. Craig Scott urged viewers on The Oprah Winfrey Show two days later to refrain from too much focus on the shooter, saying "I have found students that actually idolize the two shooters at Columbine... We've focused on my sister, who's so compassionate and kind. And from that, that's the opposite of that anger and hatred." [12]

On April 20, 2009, the tenth anniversary of the Columbine shootings, Darrell Scott told NBC interviewer Natalie Morales on the Today show, "We've seen a lot of lives changed from her story and our program, Rachel's Challenge, has touched literally 13 million lives over the last ten years". [6] He said that from September 2008 to April 2009, his organization received 105 emails from teens dissuaded from suicide because of attending a Rachel's Challenge program. [6] In a separate interview aired the same day, Craig Scott told Morales that, "I meet a lot of hurting students out there and I share with them my hurtful story, but I'm not just carrying a sob story around ... I'm trying to share with them some of the things that I learned to get through it and to be a better person because of it". [15] As of 2008, Craig Scott has spoken to more than one million people in making appearances for Rachel's Challenge, while pursuing a career in filmmaking. [16] He hopes to produce inspirational films and is on the board of directors of the American Screenwriters Association. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Columbine High School massacre</span> 1999 mass shooting in Columbine, Colorado, US

The Columbine High School massacre, commonly referred to as Columbine, was a school shooting and attempted bombing that occurred on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado, United States. The perpetrators, twelfth-grade students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, murdered twelve students and one teacher. Ten of the twelve students killed were in the school library, where Harris and Klebold subsequently committed suicide. Twenty-one additional people were injured by gunshots, and gunfire was also exchanged with the police. Another three people were injured trying to escape. The Columbine massacre was the deadliest mass shooting at a high school in U.S. history, until it was surpassed by the Parkland high school shooting in February 2018. Columbine still remains the deadliest school shooting to occur in the U.S. state of Colorado.

<i>The Oprah Winfrey Show</i> 1986–2011 American syndicated talk show

The Oprah Winfrey Show, often referred to as The Oprah Show or simply Oprah, is an American daytime syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicago, Illinois. Produced and hosted by Oprah Winfrey, it remains the highest-rated daytime talk show in American television history.

<i>Bowling for Columbine</i> 2002 film by Michael Moore

Bowling for Columbine is a 2002 Academy Award-winning documentary film written, produced, directed, and narrated by Michael Moore. The film explores what Moore suggests are the primary causes for the Columbine High School massacre in 1999 and other acts of gun violence. He focuses on the background and environment in which the massacre took place and some common public opinions and assumptions about related issues. The film also looks into the nature of violence in the United States, and American violence abroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maria Shriver</span> American journalist and author (born 1955)

Maria Owings Shriver is an American journalist, author, a member of the Kennedy family, former First Lady of California, and the founder of the nonprofit organization The Women's Alzheimer's Movement. She was married to former governor of California and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, from whom she filed for divorce in 2011 and which was finalized in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold</span> American mass murderers (1981–1999)

Eric David Harris and Dylan Bennet Klebold were American high school seniors who perpetrated the Columbine High School massacre at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999 in Columbine, Colorado. Harris and Klebold killed 12 students, one teacher, and wounded 24 others. After killing most of their victims in the school's library, they died by self-inflicted gunshot wounds. At the time, it was the deadliest high school shooting in U.S. history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cassie Bernall</span> Victim of the Columbine High School Massacre

Cassie René Bernall was an American student who was killed in the Columbine High School massacre, where 11 more students and a teacher were killed by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, who then committed suicide. It was reported that Bernall had been asked whether or not she believed in God, and she said "Yes", before being shot during the massacre. However, investigators concluded the person who was asked about her belief in God was Valeen Schnurr, who survived the shooting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Scott</span> American murder victim

Rachel Joy Scott was an American student who was the first fatality of the Columbine High School massacre, in which 11 other students and a teacher were also murdered by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, who then died by suicide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Columbine High School</span> Public high school in Columbine, Colorado, United States

Columbine High School (CHS) is a public high school in Columbine, Colorado, United States, in the Denver metropolitan area. It is part of the Jefferson County Public Schools district.

<i>Rachels Tears</i> Book by Darrell Scott, Beth Nimmo and Steve Rabey

Rachel's Tears: The Spiritual Journey of Columbine Martyr Rachel Scott is a non-fiction book about Rachel Scott, the first victim of the Columbine High School massacre.

<i>Super Columbine Massacre RPG!</i> 2005 role-playing video game

Super Columbine Massacre RPG! is a role-playing video game created by Danny Ledonne and released in April 2005. The game recreates the 1999 Columbine High School shootings in Columbine, Colorado. Players assume the roles of gunmen Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold and act out the massacre, with flashbacks relating parts of Harris and Klebold's past experiences. The game begins on the day of the shootings and follows Harris and Klebold after their suicides to fictional adventures in perdition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls</span> School in South Africa

The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls – South Africa (OWLAG) is a boarding school for girls, grades 8–12, in Henley on Klip, Gauteng Province, South Africa. The school is a project begun by the American entrepreneur and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey in 2002, born out of a discussion she had with South African president Nelson Mandela in 2000. OWLAG opened in 2007 and its inaugural class of 72 girls graduated in 2011.

Oprah’s Anti-war series was a series of episodes of The Oprah Winfrey Show that ran from early November 2002 until March 18, 2003. The series was supposed to begin in the fall of 2001 but was delayed when the pilot episode inspired an enormous backlash. Winfrey was quoted as saying:

I once did a show titled Is War the Only Answer? In the history of my career, I've never received more hate mail — like 'Go back to Africa' hate mail. I was accused of being un-American for even raising the question."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oprah Winfrey Network</span> American pay television network

Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) is an American multinational basic cable television network which launched on January 1, 2011, effectively replacing the Discovery Health Channel. The OWN is a joint venture between Warner Bros. Discovery and Harpo Studios, conceptualized largely by popular talkshow host, Oprah Winfrey—the name of Harpo Studios is Winfrey’s first name, spelled backwards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oprah Winfrey's endorsement of Barack Obama</span> Endorsement of Senator Barack Obama for US President by Oprah Winfrey for the 2008 election

Oprah Winfrey's endorsement of Senator Barack Obama was one of the most widely covered and studied developments of the 2008 presidential campaign, as she has been described as the most influential woman in the world. Winfrey first endorsed Senator Obama in September 2006 before he had even declared himself a candidate. In May 2007 Winfrey made her official endorsement of candidate Obama, and in December 2007, she made her first campaign appearances for him. Two economists estimate that Winfrey's endorsement was worth over a million votes in the Democratic primary race and that without it, Obama would have received fewer votes. Then-Governor of Illinois Rod Blagojevich claimed that the endorsement was so significant in making Obama president-elect that he considered offering Obama's former seat in the Senate to Winfrey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oprah Winfrey</span> American talk show host, actress, producer, and author (born 1954)

Oprah Gail Winfrey, also known mononymously as Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and media proprietor. She is best known for her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, broadcast from Chicago, which ran in national syndication for 25 years, from 1986 to 2011. Dubbed the "Queen of All Media", she was the richest African-American of the 20th century and was once the world's only black billionaire. By 2007, she was often ranked as the most influential woman in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marilyn Manson–Columbine High School massacre controversy</span> 1990s controversy in the US

Following the massacre at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999, one common view was that the violent actions perpetrated by the two shooters, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, were due to violent influences in entertainment, specifically those in the music of Marilyn Manson.

<i>Im Not Ashamed</i> 2016 American film

I'm Not Ashamed is a 2016 American biographical drama film directed by Brian Baugh and based on the journals of Rachel Scott, the first victim of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre in Columbine, Colorado. Scott, played by Masey McLain, serves as the protagonist of the film; the story of both gunmen, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, is intertwined with hers and this indicates the two were the antagonists. The film was distributed by Pure Flix Entertainment. It received negative reviews from critics and audiences. It performed poorly at the box office as well, with revenue of $2.1 million compared to the $1.5 million budget of the film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">She Said Yes: The Unlikely Martyrdom of Cassie Bernall</span> 1999 memoir by Misty Bernall

She Said Yes: The Unlikely Martyrdom of Cassie Bernall is a memoir by Misty Bernall about the life of her daughter Cassie Bernall who was killed during the Columbine High School massacre on April 20, 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sue Klebold</span> American author and activist (born 1949)

Susan Francis Klebold is an American activist and author whose son, American mass murderer Dylan Klebold, was one of the perpetrators of the Columbine High School shooting in 1999. After the massacre, she wrote A Mother's Reckoning, a book about the signs and possible motives she missed of Dylan's mental state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Columbine effect</span> Legacy of the 1999 Columbine massacre

The Columbine effect is the legacy and impact of the Columbine High School massacre, which occurred on April 20, 1999 at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado. The shooting has had an effect on school safety, policing tactics, prevention methods, and inspired numerous copycat crimes, with many killers taking their inspiration from Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold by describing the two perpetrators as being martyrs or heroes.

References

  1. ↑ Grey, Jamie (August 5, 2014). "Rachel's Challenge to offer small school programs". KTVB.com. Archived from the original on August 7, 2014. Retrieved April 24, 2015.
  2. ↑ Gwynne, S. C. (December 20, 1999). "An Act of God?". Time . Archived from the original on October 16, 2007. Retrieved May 5, 2005.
  3. 1 2 "Preserving A Daughter's Spirit". CBS News. April 20, 2000. Archived from the original on February 27, 2004. Retrieved June 20, 2008.
  4. ↑ Rachel's Tears , p. 181.
  5. ↑ Reilly, Rick (February–March 2000). "The Big Hero of Littleton". Rachel's Journal. I (3): 17, 24.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Father remembers Columbine victim". Today show . NBC. April 20, 2009. Archived from the original (video) on April 24, 2009. Retrieved April 20, 2009.
  7. ↑ "Rachel's Story: Darrell Scott brings his daughter's memory to the Shoals". Times Daily. September 15, 2001. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Friends of Rachel program, 2008". Archived from the original on 2009-04-06. Retrieved 2010-09-22.
  9. ↑ Bennett, Jessica. "Celebrate Their Lives", Newsweek, October 4, 2006.
  10. ↑ O'Driscoll, Patrick; Kenworthy, Tom (19 April 2000). "A 'rough year' for victim's brother". USA Today .
  11. ↑ Rachel's Tears, p. 136.
  12. 1 2 "A Columbine Survivor Urges the Virginia Tech Community to Stay Positive", The Oprah Winfrey Show , April 18, 2007.
  13. ↑ Scott, Darrell (9 March 2009). "VCY Rally". WVCY-TV . Retrieved April 15, 2011.
  14. ↑ News release, Conference on School Safety, White House, October 10, 2006.
  15. ↑ "Columbine changed me". Today . NBC. April 20, 2009. Archived from the original (video) on April 24, 2009. Retrieved April 20, 2009.
  16. 1 2 "Board of Directors". The American Screenwriters Association. 2008. Retrieved April 22, 2009.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.