Ardeth Platte

Ardeth Platte
Born(1936-04-10)April 10, 1936
Lansing, Michigan
DiedSeptember 30, 2020(2020-09-30) (aged 84)
Washington, D.C.
Occupation(s)Religious sister, activist

Ardeth Platte, O.P., (10 April 1936 – 30 September 2020), was an American Dominican religious sister and anti-nuclear activist, and inspired a character named Sister Jane Ingalls (played by Beth Fowler) in the Netflix hit “Orange is the New Black.” She was admitted into the Michigan Women’s hall of fame in 1999.

Activism

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Platte is most famously known for breaching a nuclear missile site in Colorado with fellow Dominican nuns Sister Carol Gilbert and Sister Jackie Hudson.[1] Snipping through the chain-link fence using bolt cutters, Platte and the other nuns poured blood out of a baby bottle in the shape of a cross on a nuclear silo to remember victims of war. They then unfurled a peace banner, reciting a prayer, “Oh God, help us to be peacemakers in this hostile world.[2]” For these actions, Platte was sent to prison in Danbury, Connecticut, where she stayed for 41 months.[3]

References

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  1. ↑ "Nuns against nuclear weapons – Plowshares protesters have fought for disarmament for over 40 years, going to prison for peace". Foreign Affairs (New Zealand). 2021-12-09.
  2. ↑ Green, Penelope (2020-10-08). "Ardeth Platte, Dominican Nun and Antinuclear Activist, Dies at 84". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-04-19.
  3. ↑ The Washington Times (2010-10-10). "Protesting nuns branded terrorists". The Washington Times. Retrieved 2022-04-19.