Robert Roche (activist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Roche
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| Born | May 3, 1947 |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Civil rights organizer |
| Years active | 1973–present |
| Organization | The American Indian Education Center People, Not Mascots Autonomous American Indian Movement (AAIM) |
| Known for | Chairman and Executive Director of the American Indian Education Center of Cleveland (now run by Jeffrey Pierce) Opposition to Chief Wahoo and other Native American mascots |
Robert Roche, also known as Bob Roche, is an important activist for Native American civil rights. Civil rights are the basic rights and freedoms that belong to every person. He is well-known for helping to lead the effort against using Native American images as sports mascots.
Contents
Early Life and Influences
Robert Joseph Roche was born on May 3, 1947, in Cleveland, Ohio. As a young man, he met Russell Means. Means was a famous actor and a strong civil rights activist. He also started the American Indian Movement (AIM) in Cleveland. Russell Means had a big impact on Robert Roche. They worked together on many projects to help Native American communities.
Helping the Community
Working with Youth
From 1974 to 1984, Robert Roche worked for the City of Cleveland. He was a probation officer in the Juvenile Court Division. In this role, he helped young Indigenous people. These young people had come into contact with the justice system.
Founding the American Indian Education Center
In 1995, Robert Roche started the American Indian Education Center. This is a non-profit group in Greater Cleveland. It helps Native American people with many services. These services include tutoring and help with writing resumes. The center also offers cultural programs. Roche created this center to provide more help. It built on the work of an earlier center started by Russell Means. Robert Roche still serves as the executive director of this center today.
Teaching and Sharing History
Robert Roche has also taught at Oberlin College. He taught a class about the history of the American Indian Movement. This course helped students learn about the fight for Native American civil rights.
Activism for Change
Involvement with AIM
Robert Roche was an active member of the Autonomous American Indian Movement (AAIM). This was a separate part of the larger American Indian Movement. He was involved with this group until January 2020.
Protesting Offensive Mascots
Since 1973, Roche has protested against the Cleveland Indians mascot, Chief Wahoo. He believes that using Native American images as mascots is disrespectful. He also started a group called "People, Not Mascots." This group works to raise awareness about this issue. They want to end the use of Native American images as mascots.
Roche explained why this issue is so important to him. He said, "We are not mascots. I'm nobody's mascot. My children are not mascots. It mocks us as a race of people. It mocks our religion." His words show his strong belief that these mascots are harmful.
See also
- American Indian Movement
- Chief Wahoo
- Philip Joseph Yenyo
- Sundance
