![]() ![]() I rehoused the materials in acid-free folders, removed metal fasteners, and separated newspaper clippings from other papers with acid-free paper. The collection includes correspondence, reports, notes, legal documents, clippings, a scrapbook, and audio recordings related to the Knapps’ involvement with the Giles-Johnson case. ![]() John Giles (left) and James Giles (right) at the Maryland Penitentiary in December 1963. ![]() The collection also provides important documentation on civil rights, citizen action, and community activism. The Knapp papers collection is useful for researchers studying race relations in Maryland, sexual assault cases, and capital punishment. The Knapp papers were donated by Barbara Knapp in May 2018, and complement an existing collection at UMD, the Giles-Johnson Defense Committee records. This volunteer group of about sixty Montgomery County citizens worked for the defense of James and John Giles and Joseph Johnson, three African-American men accused of raping a white, teenaged girl in 1961. Knapp papers document a white couple’s involvement with the Giles-Johnson Defense Committee. This archival collection sheds light on an example of this difficult history and demonstrates that everyday citizens can play a role in challenging racially-motivated law enforcement and legal decisions. This semester, while working as a student assistant for Special Collections, I processed the Harold A. Approximately 92% of the 60,000 who have been approved for citizenship in 2022 have been waiting less than six months to attend a ceremony.Racial injustice in the state of Maryland has a long, painful history. This year more than 165,000 new Australians participated in citizenship ceremonies. “Importantly, by increasing the capacity to confer citizenships in these local government areas, new citizens in Yarra and Darebin will once again be able to invite friends and family to what is, for some, the most important day in their lives,” the statement said. #Yarra Council has tonight voted unanimously to change the way it marks January 26, from 2018 onwards: The powers were previously stripped by the former Coalition government, when local councillors moved to vote to discontinue referring to January 26 as ‘Australia Day’. The City of Yarra and the Darebin City councils have also had their authority to conduct ceremonies reinstated. The ceremonies code of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 (Cth) has now been updated to reflect the minister’s decision. Giles added this was a “pragmatic change” in line with his commitment to efficient processing of citizenship applications and timely ceremonies for new citizens. “The government’s priority is to ensure that, where people have made the choice to become Australian citizens, they are afforded that opportunity in their own communities, with friends and family, in a timely way.”Ī number of councils have indicated the cost of hosting a ceremony on a public holiday is not feasible. “Australian citizenship is an important common bond for all Australians, whether by birth or by choice, and lies at the heart of a unified, cohesive and inclusive Australia,” Giles said. So-called #changethedate advocates often refer to January 26th as ‘Invasion Day’ or ‘Survival Day’. “It is also the day when more people become citizens than any other time of the year and, for those who have joined our great Australian community from all corners of the world, becoming a citizen is an unforgettable occasion to be treasured forever.”Īn ongoing public debate about whether January 26 - the day in 1788 Captain Arthur Phillip sailed into Sydney Cove and declared NSW part of the British Colony - should continue to be a date of celebration for the nation has carried on for years now. “It is the Australian government’s strong expectation that councils conduct ceremonies on January 26,” Giles said, noting the national day provided all Australians with the chance to “reflect, respect and celebrate”. In a statement on Friday, the minister for immigration, citizenship and multicultural affairs said he was removing red tape for councils by offering them greater flexibility about what day the ceremonies could be held from Monday 23 to Sunday 29 January, 2023. Andrew Giles has declared that Australian citizenship ceremonies can be pencilled in ‘on or around’ January 26. ![]()
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