Charles W. Patterson is an American author, historian, and animal rights advocate, perhaps best known for his books, Eternal Treblinka: Our Treatment of Animals and the Holocaust, Anti-Semitism: The Road to the Holocaust and Beyond, Animal Rights, The Civil Rights Movement, and Marian Anderson. He is an active member of the Authors Guild, PEN, and The National Writers Union. He follows a vegetarian lifestyle, and believes that vegetarianism can reduce violence in humans. In a protest against Columbia University's animal cruelty, Patterson returned his doctorate to the president of the university. He believed that innocent lives had greater importance than a piece of paper. Patterson is active in the Vegetarian Community, and was a guest speaker at the 2015 Veggie Pride Parade in New York City. His greatest fantasy is for all slaughterhouses to end their killing. He currently lives in the Upper West side of New York, New York.
Early life and career
Charles Patterson grew up in New Britain, Connecticut. He was born in New Britain General hospital. Patterson did not know his father due to his early passing in war. His father fought against the Nazis in Europe, which led Patterson to his interest in the topics of World War 2 and The Holocaust. He has been a teacher at colleges, elementary schools, and for adult education classes. Patterson is proficient in teaching various subject such as English, social studies, and history. He was a professor at Adelphi University, New School University, Hunter College, and the Metropolitan College. He was a reviewer for The International Society of Yad Vashem's Publication Martyrdom and Resistance. He worked for the publication for 17 years to help preserve the stories of Holocaust Survivors and their families. He was featured in the book Who Stole My Religion? By Richard Schwartz. The story correlated nature with Judaism faith. He was invited to write The Oxford 50th Anniversary Book of The United Nations. Patterson's most recent book is In Dante's Footsteps: My Journey to Hell (a modern update of Dante's Inferno).
Education
He studied at the Kent School, Kent, Connecticut in the class of 1954. Patterson was educated at Amherst College from where he graduated in 1958, and Columbia University, from where he received an MA in English Literature and a PhD in Religion. He later studied at the Yad Vashem Institute for Holocaust Education in Jerusalem.
Achievements
The National Council for the Social Studies awarded him the Carter G. Woodson Book Award in 1989. He received the secondary level award for his children's story, Marian Anderson. Patterson's Eternal Treblinka: Our Treatment of Animals and the Holocaust was featured in the publication The Animal's Agenda in 2002. The article was the cover story of the March/April issue and was titled The Holocaust and Animal Exploitation. He was honored with an Animal Rights Writing award in 1995 for his story Animal Rights. The award was presented to him by the International Society for Animal Rights. ' Patterson's Eternal Treblinka: Our Treatment of Animals and the Holocaust is featured at the United States Holocaust memorial museum. He was featured in People for The Ethical Treatment of Animal's campaign titled Holocaust on Your Plate. PETA quoted Patterson's comparison of animal slaughterhouses to gas chambers of the Holocaust.
Eternal Treblinka
Political Affairs called Eternal Treblinka, "a wonderful book about terrible subjects". JVNA called it "very well researched ... written with great sensitivity and compassion".
Criticism
Patterson's positions have been criticized by groups, namely Jewish anti-defamation and Holocaust memorial organizations. Some claim that Patterson's comparisons between slaughterhouses and the Holocaust trivialize the experience of Holocaust victims and survivors. Dr. Manfred Gerstenfeld writes on Holocaust comparisons such as Patterson's that, "In essence, the animal rights supporters who trivialize the Holocaust humanize animals to develop their flawed and perverse discourse."