Keilah Johnson - Day 18

Today we were lucky enough to not have meet until TEN O’ CLOCK. This may not seem like a big deal to some, but considering our usual seven/eight o’ clock report time, it was like a dream come true. Darren, an OUDC Class 3 alum, came to join us for breakfast, which was not only pushed back due to a rain delay, but moved to an entirely different location. Once again, innocent civilians were overwhelmed by the sight of 30 hungry teenagers, four frazzled chaperones, and one amazingly calm photographer. Although there were a few incidents with remembering food orders, we all managed to get something to eat.

Unlike most of our free time, today we actually had time to walk around the French Quarters of New Orleans and shop. This would have been even more enjoyable if it weren’t for the blistering heat. Eric, Julia, Thomas, and I had enough time to visit a few stores, but the irritating humidity drove us to search the street for a cool snack. Word of advice, don’t ever ask a café shop employee where you can find ice cream. These cunning employees will try to convince you that a chilled cappuccino is similar to ice cream. Ha!

Next, we visited New Orleans’ 9th ward, the place that experienced the most damage from Hurricane Katrina. It is amazing to me that after almost five years, the area still has not fully recovered. We saw the levees, which don’t look like they could have even been useful even if they hadn’t broke. Some projects have been started to rebuild affordable houses for Katrina victims, but only a few seemed to have been built. The new houses look really futuristic, with solar panels and are elevated from the ground. They were being built by the Make it Right project founded by Brad Pitt. Then, after playing in a park in the Lower Ninth Ward that was donated by Kellogg, we visited a man who is an active participant in the Mardi Gras parade. He had a little museum built in his backyard, which was packed with costumes, pictures, and his fierce six-year-old niece (and assistant director of the museum). (You can take another bumper sticker!).

Then, we visited the Jewish Community Center to spend a couple of hours of downtime. At first, almost everyone was in the gym; sitting, watching or playing in the Class 5 vs. Trip Leaders basketball game (Class 5 won). About fifteen minutes into the game, the group divided and some of us went swimming in the pool (I was in that group). After a pasta/pizza/wing feast we loaded up the bus and rolled into the sunset. Thanks Aaron for helping me end this blog with some beautiful imagery.

Loren Cahill Day Seventeen

You can still see the blood splattered on the driveway. Hate is what drives us apart but love is necessary to keep us together. On June 12th 1963, Medgar Evers was shot in the back as he got out of his car in the driveway of his home in Jackson, Mississippi. Despite a life fully consumed with admonishment and the Jim Crow South he continued to give his best and advocate for change. He sought to organize all blacks to acquire their right to vote in Mississippi. First thing this morning we went to his house and got a glimpse of his life. I will be forever changed by his humility and all his efforts that allow me to exercise all my rights.

Next we met Hollis Watkins the head of an agency called Southern Echo. His entire life was dedicated to the movement. He began his work with the youth chapter of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) and later took on voter registration advocacy with SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee). His organizing efforts scared Caucasian officials so much that he was sent to Parchman penitentiary, arguably the worst prison in the state. His experiences never got to the point of disillusioning him though. He achieved Medgar Evers dreams and helped to make voting rights accessible to all. He respects the fact that young people are not only the future but also a part of the present. Afterwards as a special treat he taught us a couple of Freedom Songs that were sung during the marches. I will never forget his kindness nor his unremitting confidence in the power of people to change.

Later on we met with Mr. Jerry Mitchell an investigative reporter. His interviews and findings lead to the convictions of several members of the Klu Klux Klan including the assassin of Medgar Evers. He readily stressed the point that racial reconciliation is what is truly necessary for society to move on from the ills that we all as a country have experienced either first hand or vicariously through our ancestors. Forgiveness is our redemption. Lastly, we met former Governor William Winters. While in office he moved Mississippi up 5 rankings in their educational system and told of his first hand experience of changed his segregationist mindset to one inclusive to all. He said that we must began to trust each other and move away from believing that one group of people wants to take advantage of us. All in all today was great I gained a wealth of knowledge and with everyday here I continue to affirm my belief that change is ever attainable.

Untold Story

Untold Story

I thought she was the enemy
She let me be hurt:
Yelled at by my mother,
Hit by my father,
Touched by my siblings.
She let this happen to me.
And I thought she was the enemy,
So I was put in handcuffs
The cold metal pinched my skin.
They told me to go to this room and shut up.
Tears ran down my face,
My body trembling,
I was so scared.
I was then taken before my new almighty.
He told me I was never to see daylight.
He gave me life without parole.
My so-called protector didn’t protect me at all.
They told I was going to stay with the adults.
Live my life behind some bars,
But my horror didn’t stop there.
There were those who were stationed among the bars,
To keep us all safe from each other,
But no one kept us safe from them.
He told me I had to follow him,
He pointed me to a closet
And took my last possession from me.
It wasn’t going to be the last time.
I’ve been here for ten years.
All because I was there
When he stabbed my enemy.
I thought she was the enemy.
I thought she was my enemy.
I was only 13.
By: Winnie Hawker
***Inspired by real stories of 13 & 14 year olds sentenced to life without parole and Equal Justice Initiative***

Winnie Hawker-Boehnke - Day 16

7:40 Okay so not much sleep last night. Actually I’m not sure we ever have “enough” sleep, but, hey, I haven’t fallen asleep during the day…yet. Well we have a really full day today, including driving three hours to Jackson and I need to pack. This whole deal of “one-night-stands” is a slight annoyance since we’re transporting 45lb suitcases.

9:00 We have arrived. 400 Washington Ave., otherwise known as Southern Poverty Law Center. For those who don’t know who or what SPLC is I’ll give you a hint…it’s a law center. *grins* Actually to refer to SPLC as just a law center is a diss to all of their work. SPLC is the publisher of Teaching Tolerance magazine and movies and is the publisher of the Intelligence Reports. They monitor all active hate groups in the United States and often lead or assist in prosecution of these groups. When we got there we first walked through the museum, which documents the lives and deaths of the 40 martyrs of the Civil Rights Movement. We then watched a movie on the same people. Afterwards we met with Joe Levin, co-founder of the SPLC. He was interesting and gave us insight into using law against hate and into the importance of monitoring the various hate groups. I was by far more impressed by him and SPLC when I discovered they were the publishers of Teaching Tolerance. Although I think most of us would agree that the most moving part about SPLC was visiting the memorial to those 40 martyrs. I’m not sure how to explain the memorial, but essentially the names of these martyrs are carved into a stone disk and then water just barely covers it. Our photographer Stewart got some good shots of our hands on this memorial.

10:45 “Remember NO Arguing!” –Karen K. I promise to you that we, on most accounts, succeeded. Here’s the deal, we just arrived at the Foundation for Moral Law. What went through your mind when you read that name? Exactly. But in all fairness, our first two speakers from here, Rich Hobbson, executive director, and Ben DuPre, lead lawyer, were quite good. They were great at explaining of this organization. From what I gathered it all comes down to them consistently arguing original intent. They talked about a current case they’re working on and showed us a brief from the case. For those who haven’t seen one of these briefs, they really aren’t all that brief. However, they brought in a third speaker and, well, after this the floodgates were opened. This man’s title is Chief Justice Moore. Looking back I supposed he came in looking to change our “mixed up democratic minds.” Now we didn’t forget Karen’s words, but passion is blinding. And to be fair, of the five or six students who ended up in an argument with Moore only two were actually trying to argue. The remainder were only trying to not let him walk over us, as he tried to manipulate us. Matt (trip leader) best puts it to words, “He’d spend a half hour trying to trip them [students] up and turn their own words against them.” As a note, we really didn’t trip. Even despite the fact that we did argue in the end, we responded with intelligent and factual comments and overall, I must say, we handled it quite well. We even achieved the original goal, which was to learn about the foundation: their goals and methods.

12:00 Do you really need to know about lunch? I’m pretty sure that one of my classmates has covered the seemingly constant consumption of sandwiches. So I’ll skip the fact that we had Subway, again.

12:30 We just walked two blocks down Dexter to arrive at Dexter Avenue King Memorial Church. For those who didn’t know Dexter is the only church for Dr. King to have served as senior pastor. Also the King family named one of their sons after the church, Dexter, a fact the tour lady made sure to mention. Now from the outside the church appeared like most any other church and when you walk the same applies. Except when you looked to the wall on the right there was a magnificent mural. We found out later that the mural was done by a church member. The mural documented King’s struggles and successes with the Civil Right’s Movement. Our tour included a short movie (~20 min.) and then a guided tour/explanation of the mural and the sanctuary. That was it.

2:00 Okay, well we are now at the Rosa Parks Museum. At face value I wasn’t sure what this museum was going to offer that differed from previous museums, especially since it was all about Rosa Parks and the bus boycott. However, that was a face value, upon entrance into the actual museum the first part was interactive with the museum built like a set from the time. The other part was not interactive, but I found it more interesting than the average museum because they had all of the original legal documents: police reports and law files.

4:00 Equal Justice Initiative. That name just sounds promising. EJI is a law firm and works in various arenas of criminal law, but recently they have been focusing on a specific problem they have noticed. It was a surprise to us to find out that America sentences 13 and 14 year olds to life without parole, a big surprise. The surprise grew when we found out that many of these young teens haven’t even committed murder, some of these kids simply committed check fraud. There are a variety of reasons and policies contributing to this practice, but it doesn’t excuse the fact that America is the only country in the world that jails 13 and 14 year olds to life without parole. We had the pleasure of speaking to the founder of EJI, Bryan Stevenson. He really explained why this is occurring, but also told us about their efforts to combat this problem. In full, Stevenson and EJI were very inspirational and memorable. Many of us left there with new commitment to being change agents; some left there wanting to be just like Stevenson. If you want more on my personal reaction read the poem posted. I encourage you all to visit eji.org and learn more.

6:00 We’re driving to Jackson ya’ll!

Jordan Williams - Day 15

After spending the night in Montgomery, we loaded up the bus to head to Selma. As we headed to Selma, we stopped on the way at the Lowndes Interpretive Center. The museum has a small exhibit about the march from Montgomery to Selma by African Americans to gain the right to vote and to protest the death of Jimmie Lee Jackson (who was killed by police while protecting his mother from their attacks). Though the museum was small, it provided great information on the March.

Arriving in Selma, we made our second stop at the Slavery and Civil War Museum. Before even stepping off the bus, we were greeted by being called the N-word over and over. As we stepped off the bus, we were ordered to stand against a wall and keep our heads down. After the first five minutes, I had the realization that we were being treated like the enslaved Africans of the past. We were then being “transported” through time, room by room into each process of what the enslaved people, stolen from their country, had to endure. The cargo hold, the slave ship, the assembly line, and the bidding process were steps we experienced during this intense and emotional tour. The experience was so authentic that it brought a few of us to tears. Each and every one of us got to experience first hand the terrible conditions that African Americans endured.

We then had an amazing opportunity to meet Joanne Bland, Selma tour guide extraordinaire. Ms Bland detailed information about the city which provided all of us with a lot of new knowledge. Ms Bland has a colorful personality and knew her history! She spoke to us truthfully and honestly. Without a doubt, Ms Bland gave us all something to think about. We toured through places like Selma University, the Voting Rights Museum, Brown Chapel AME Church, and all through the historic downtown district. We drove through the projects, where Ms Bland grew up. It was a truly personal experience.

Then we walked two by two across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. This is the very bridge that the marchers walked across to go from Selma to Montgomery to gain the right to vote. It is also the very same bridge where “Bloody Sunday” occurred when the police beat the marchers with billy clubs and filled the air with tear gas. Bloody Sunday was a tragic event that the entire country witnessed. Mr. Robinson (our bus driver) told us earlier to walk across the bridge with pride because 50 years ago, they couldn’t walk across the bridge at all.

Next we visited Temple Mishkan Israel. There are only ten members remaining and all are over, most are well over, 65 years of change. It was interesting and a little sad to see the fate of many southern Jewish communities as their numbers are dwindling and many of them are disappearing all together.
As day 15 closes, we have processed about the events that have occurred. We reflect on what we have seen and heard and this day was one to be remembered.

Stephanie Holzbauer - Day Fourteen

On June 23rd our group made its way into Alabama’s capital, Montgomery, but not before we made visits to key sites in both Birmingham and Tuskegee that were pivotal to African American history. Firstly, we made our way through the innovative Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, whose interactive structure belied its purpose to our community: if we don’t consider Civil Rights history to be a living subject that we can always learn more about, then Cultural Leadership’s mission to give us the tools to create social change would be rendered impossible. This museum focused on the progression that took place in Birmingham in both a legislative and cultural sense, but also pointed out how oppression and discrimination is still embedded in social structures. We cannot not live in a post-racial society considering racism has embedded itself into the way our culture functions. The institute and the discussions following our visit made me think of why our organization is called Cultural Leadership in the first place, and it may be because we’re fighting issues of privilege and injustice that lie outside the legislative system and instead within our way of life. Yet, a shining example of a change agent whose determination to combat racist legislation is attorney Fred Gray, who currently practices in Tuskegee. We visited him while taking in the Tuskegee Human and Civil Rights Multicultural Center, and he discussed how he has done many things from representing Claudette Colvin, who we met in New York, to being the defense’s legal counsel in the case Hosea Williams v. George Wallace, which led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. His message, though, was not for us to tackle the problem of racism through the legal system like him, but to get into a profession where we can unconditionally help others. Considering we don’t live in a post-racial society, he made it clear that we must identify issues taking place in our community and follow through on taking action; essentially being leaders. Our group then perused the Multicultural Center in detail, and Fred Gray stated correctly that we were standing on holy ground due to the numerous ways that Tuskegee advanced rights for African Americans. Not only were numerous Tuskegee airmen trained at the town’s prestigious university, but it was the birthplace of Rosa Parks, and the source of major movements like those for voter registration. This museum itself was a unique experience because it discusses the contributions of many ethnic groups to the American way of life as opposed to reiterating civil rights accomplishments. Overall, day fourteen of our transformational journey pointed out differences in the challenges that change agents faced in the past and the ones that we currently face. Racism in modern society is more covert and therefore takes more than just the legal system to unearth, but our job as change agents for this generation is to respect the progress made while still attempting to overcome today’s most pressing social issues.

Aaron Johnson (Dictated to Eliana Parnas) - Day 12

On our last day in Hot-Lanta, we went to the Breman Jewish Heritage Museum and we saw the personal affects of the Holocaust through the mementos collected by the museum (largely from Atlanta locals). Each station of the Museum differed in architecture to show a change in the various stages of the Holocaust. The floors in the beginning are stone to represent the ghettos, the windows get smaller as the final solution is determined. After our tour, we moved into the theater to listen to the personal account of survivor, Andre Kessler. He told us his story of resilience in Europe and later in the US. Mr. Kessler was a young child during the Holocaust, living in Romania. He and his mother hid in their apartment for almost 2 years. After the liberation, they endured many more years in Russia occupied communist territory, again living under restrictions that limited their freedom.

From the Breman Jewish Heritage Museum, we proceeded to visit the traveling exhibit, America I am." I was extremely empowered by this display of accomplishments that my people of African decent have contributed to our great nations of American. I am awed at the vast influence of African American talent and its effect on the US. Later than night, when we as a group posed the questions, "What would the United States be like without the contributions of African Americans?" I knew in my heart that there would be no America without the oppression of African Americans that provided economic viability to our economy. And their triumph over years of struggle, to accomplish so many things for this nation. At the end of the day, my appreciation of what my people have given to this coutnry increased greatly. Now, off to Birmingham.

Bobby Ingram - Thoughts from the Holocaust Museum

The Holocaust Memorial Museum includes a room filled with the shoes of Holocaust victims. They are piled on both sides of a walkway and represent both the large scale loss of human life and the individual stories of the men, women and children who perished. Bobby journaled these thoughts based on that image and allowed me to share it with all of you on the blog.

What do shoes tell you about a person? Do they hint at the roads once traveled or the obstacles once hiked? Do they demonstrate the perserverence it took to keep on moving? Can you depict the terrain once covered? Does the size of the shoe tell you how tall they once stood? Or is it simply a reminder of human growth? At the Holocaust Museum, the shoes don’t tell you their owners stories or their name, but rather they act as evidence for what hate can do and how they limit the future steps of humanity.

Day 12 - Hannah Rosenthal & Shayna Rosen

This morning we began the trek from our hot, cramped hostel in Atlanta, Georgia (Jenny side note- It wasn't that bad!) to the Children’s Holocaust Memorial in Whitwell, Tennessee. At 9 am, we carried our suitcases down the rickety stairs and out of the former brothel (according to an article on the wall). We packed them onto our big Charter bus, Mr. Robinson on board. He greeted us with a big grin and a cheery “Wazzuuuuppppp?”

On our journey from Atlanta, we watched the documentary, “Paper Clips,” which outlined what we were to experience in Whitwell. Karen patrolled the aisle, making sure that we were all awake. At about 10:30 am central time, we arrived in the little town of Whitwell, Tennessee, population 1,600. We were greeted by lonesome cows, dilapidated gas stations, and a single Hardee’s restaurant. And, in a town with only two stoplights, we still managed to get lost. (Jenny takes this comment as a personal insult). Finally, we arrived at our destination, the campus of Whitwell elementary, middle and high schools. Compared with everything else we had seen, the schools looked very nice and new. We filed out of the bus, surprised by the sweltering heat. In front of our eyes was the work of 11 consecutive eighth grade classes at Whitwell Middle School.
The Paper Clips project began in 1998 as a way to educate the students at the school about diversity and intolerance. Because there was not a Jew for miles (insert Karen’s hand gestures here), the school administrators decided to teach the students about the Holocaust. It is impossible to visualize the 11 million victims, so the students decided to collect paperclips to represent all those murdered. As word about the project spread, the students received paperclips and letters from all around the world. They originally planned to collect only 6 million to represent the Jews decimated, but they surpassed 30 million paperclips. Because they had collected such an unimaginable number, they set out on a search to find a cattle car used to transport people to concentration camps. They were contacted by Peter and Dagmar Schroeder from Germany who donated a railcar. Now, the children’s work serves as a memorial. Visitors are also invited to read the 30,000 letters and gifts from around the world that the students received.

When we reached the school, Principal Linda M. Hooper greeted us and split us into tour groups. From there we were taken by rising eighth graders to three different stations: we saw Holocaust pictures, read the letters and toured the railcar. The railcar had recently been stained, so our shoes stuck the floor while we walked. Eleven million paperclips sat behind glass walls. There was an opening that allowed us to reach in and touch the paperclips, and as one student said, “it was like holding the souls of the Holocaust victims.” Quotes lined the walls of boxcar; one that particularly struck us was:

Education and remembrance are the only cures for hatred and bigotry.

- Miriam Oster

Outside of the car stood another memorial that represented the 1.5 million children murdered. It was a metal tomb with statues of children catching butterflies. On the ground also lay footstones with mosaic butterflies to represent freedom.

We all really enjoyed visiting the Children’s Holocaust Memorial. It was inspirational to see that this rural community was able to complete such a daunting task and educate others about the consequences of hatred.

We got back on the bus after eating a slightly undesirable white bread sandwich lunch (we are all so sick of sandwiches!) (Jenny side note- GET OVER IT!), and headed to our second destination: Birmingham, Alabama. After a 2 ½ hour drive, we exited Mr. Robinson’s bus and walked to the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church and Kelly Ingram Park. On September 15, 1963, the church was bombed and four little African American girls were killed. As we walked around the church, we were met by a disheveled looking African American man. He introduced himself as Andrew and began telling us about the history of the church and the park. Meeting him was a really enlightening experience. As he talked to us and we realized how knowledgeable he was, we began to think about the dangers of judging people before we get to know them.

After this, we separated and walked through Kelly Ingram Park. We looked at the monuments erected to pay tribute to the brave children who risked their lives to fight for equal rights. It was at this park where the famous images of children being bitten by dogs and police blasting water hoses took place. There is a fountain in the center of the park separated into four quadrants to remember the four children killed in the church bombing.

Following our individual explorations of the park, we came together as a group under a stone pavilion. It was at this point that our group had its biggest emotional bonding experience of our whole CL journey. We sat for 2 ½ hours and held each other in support as we spoke about our life’s hard ships and offered prayers. The intense heat seemed to disappear as we truly came together as a family for the first time. We wrapped up with 35 hugs, and got back on the bus to head to the Waffle House for a 9 o’clock dinner…or breakfast if you prefer.

Anna Rathje - Day 11

Have you ever gone to sleep after 11pm and woken up the next morning at 3:30am? Well if you haven’t let me just tell you its not pleasant especially when you are already sleep deprived. Our flight was at 6am, and if you didn’t eat before, you didn’t eat. The flight, I am told wasn’t too bad. I had slightly different views. After a long bout of turbulence and several resurgences I think its safe to say I was a bit tight strung. I may have slightly crippled Hannah R.’s hand (which I am extremely sorry about). After that we hopped on the bus and were introduced to Mr. Robinson. Then it was off to the MLK center where we saw Dr. King’s birth home and walked through the museum that had historical videos playing and pictures everywhere. We learned more in depth about King’s life and up bringing. Next we rode to The Temple whose formal name is Congregation of Loving Kindness. It is an extremely important temple historically. It was bombed, MLK spoke there and also a scene in Driving Miss Daisy was filmed there. We went to a restaurant called Beatiful and I was stretched in how to be healthy. I eat very healthily and this was a mom-n-pop restaurant. There was fried fish, fried chicken, baked chicken, ribs, okra, greens, corn, corn bread. The list goes on. I had rice and beans with corn and corn bread. But I must say the best part was the peach cobbler and banana pudding which reminded me of my grandparents house. Once we were sufficiently satisfied with the delicious soul food, we drove to the hostel. I shall put a disclosure on the Hostel in Atlanta, it is not like the other hostels and now looking back on the other ones, I don’t know why I complained. Between the bunk beds that could give any second, the weak air conditioning and the sheets and other upholstery it is a bit uncomfortable TO SAY THE LEAST. I know we will survive. The worst part? It’s probably a tie between the 100 year old falling apart bathroom and the fact that the building used to be a brothel. (Jenny side note – it’s not that bad. The kids are a bunch of whiners). We crashed and chilled until 6:30pm when we went to Hotel Indigo, wondering why Karen hadn’t put us up here and then wrote thank yous to donors. We then ate again, this time at a soup, salad and Panini place. I had a salad with FRESH fruit and it was extremely reFRESHing. The name of the restaurant was FRESH. Then, finally, it was back to the hostel. Where we processed. We worked it out so that 10 girls (well 10 + Jenny and Robin) could all use the 1 shower, that is connected to the toilet and sink. Very close quarters. Curfew is at 11. Its 11:06, lights out at 11:20. I am dripping with sweat and all I have done all day is sit. It’s my first day ever in the South. What a welcome.

Bobby Ingram - Day 10

Did you know it is illegal to paint a horse in Vermont? Neither did I. But I also didn’t know that the Center for Science in the Public Interest fought to get the nutrition facts posted on all of the food labels in America. I also didn’t know that what the CSPI considers to be the most harmful substance, salt is considered to be absolutely safe by the food and drug administration.
In addition, we met with Ernest Green, the first African American student to graduate from Little Rock Central High School. His story of courage and perseverance through the almost all-white, all-racist hallways of Central High inspired us all.
My personal favorite speaker of the day was Coleman McCarthy, a peace studies activist, supporter, and professor. He pleaded his case and ideas of non-violence and conflict resolution to us. He made us analyze and rethink the principles of violence and violent revolutions that have been instilled in us since the earliest years of education.
We ventured our way over to s Masjid, a Muslim house of worship. It was the first exposure for almost all of us to the Islamic religion. However, their kindness sparked familiarity of southern hospitality, even though we were in the nation’s capital.
Heather Booth, a world-renowned community organizer came to speak with us on how to use the tools that cultural leadership has given us to craft true change in our circles of influence.
Overall, today has been one of the best days yet.

Kristin Ingram - Day 7

A highly intelligent African American man, sat in front of me. I began to wonder the possibilities of my existence. He approaches the class by telling us himself that he is known for being that arrogant man. He first begins by asking us, “If one train is going 115 mph and another train is going 175 mph, when they meet, which one will be closer to the room?” We all sat in silence, thinking. Some begin to offer answers while others sat there puzzled. Finally, Hayley suggested that since both trains were meeting, they would both be equal distance from the room. Lawrence Guyot, the intelligent guest speaker of ours, responded with enthusiasm. We all noticed at that moment he had captured our attention. We then realized that we must listen to what people say and also listen to what people don’t say because it’s just as important. When it was that time for him to migrate from us, questions kept arousing and we were all very engaged in the conversation and learned a lot about Mr. Guyot’s views.

Then, in walked this lady asking where could she sit. We replied anywhere you would like and she related to us immediately by referring to T.I.’s song and said, “I can sit wherever I like.” We laughed and her bubbly personality continued to grasp our concentration along with strong presence. She soon informed us that she was the Vice Chairmen of the NAACP Board of Directors. She was elected to this position in 2001 and at 35 years old was the youngest and first woman to hold this position. This position is a volunteer position, her other job is being a health advocate at the Bon Secorse Health System. She taught us that contrary to popular belief, the ‘C’ in NAACP is not exclusive to the African American race. Instead, it is inclusive to all ethnicities, and is an organization which exists to help everyones struggles for justice.

Scott Rechler, a former Operation Understanding D.C. student, spoke next and urged us to become proactive in the field of social justice. He spoke to us about Ashoka, an organization which funds ‘social entrepreneurs’. A social entrepreneur is someone who discovers creative solutions to social problems. Many of us have been inspired to use Ashoka’s youth program to receive small grants for our own social justice ventures.

The Heritage Foundation, a conservative policy analysis organization, presented many different than all of the ideals that we have discussed.

The best was saved for last: “Anne and Emmett”, a one-act play which portrays an imaginary conversation between Anne Frank and Emmett Till. A thought-provoking and inspiring play was followed by an even more intriguing discussion with the cast and playwright.

Overall, today was one of the best days of the trip so far. I can’t wait for tomorrow!

Carlton Wilcoxson - Day 5

First, we woke up and took a long walk to Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem. Now, Abyssinian is the oldest Baptist chruch and its going to be around for a long while with the size of its congregation. There was even a line around the block of visitors at 9am, waiting in line for the 11am service! During the service, we watched the babies being blessed, listened to joyful songs and listened to Rev. Butts preaching his speech of Black empowerment. One of the messages I got was we as a people have to watch ourselves and take responsibilty because God is not going to do everything for us. All and all, for me, it was just another Sunday at a Baptist church.

Next, we travelled to Crown Heights which was amazing. I watched the grime filled streets of Brooklyn slowly because a series of well-kept streets in this shared Chasidic Jewish and African American community with businesses and people. We caught a celebration of the Torah scroll being finished. It takes a year to write a Torah and they celebrate the completion with songs and dancing in the streest. I then learned the values and lifestyles of Orthodox Jews. We visited the Temple, met scribes and had an open discussion about being Orthodox. I learned how marriages are arranged by the community. I learned how most traditions are meant to keep the people humble. All in all, this experience made me aware of the value of their practices and traditions. It was a great eye opening experience.

Winnie Hawker-Boehnke - To Start Anew

Winnie wrote this poem in response to her experience at Ellis Island, having heard the stories of of those who made the arduous journey:

To Start Anew

The fear.
The anticipation.
The grime covered bodies.
The worn out souls.

I feel the fear
Whisper thoughts in my head,
“You’re not coming in. You’re sick. That red spot, you’re sick. You’re not coming in.”
The taunting whispers rattle my thoughts
My eyes grow wide

As the anticipation grips me,
Like shaking my shoulders
Trying to wake me from a dream.
This is a dream.
I’m in heaven.

My hands are caked in I know not.
Proof of the journey that I have made.
Proof that I am not from here.
They try and remove it.
Cold sharp stings pound my body,
As my journey washes away,
Swirling at my feet.
I make no move to say goodbye.

At last I sit.
On wood which has serviced many before me.
Nearing entry to end and beginning,
I have been wiped clean.
Present here, now,
I am worn,But never enough to quit.

Terrell Gilkey - Day 4

This was an amazing day on the trip. We visited the National Action Network (NAN) which is a non-profit organization founded and run by Rev. Al Sharpton that hosts a rally every Saturday in Harlem to talk about issues of social injustice. Althought I didn't agree with the message given by NAN's speaker, it was really interesting to know that some people truly feel that way. The speaker stressed black empowerment as a result of the oppression we've faced. His message came off a little extreme to many of us, including myself. Alot of the CL students had a problem with a sense that the speakers were being insensitive to the white students in the audience or from the fact that this message focused on past events and the speaker seemed to be blaming other races for problems plaguing African Americans today.

After NAN, we met with two amazing speakers, Claudette Colvin and Mr. Dabrey Montgomery. Claudette Colvin was wonderful. About six months before Rosa Parks, Claudette refused to give up her seat on a bus. She was 15 years old and completely untrained as a civil rights activist. Her story was one of fear, sadness and wisdom. Her message to us was that we as a people have the potential to be more than musicuans and athletes. She strongly stressed education, understanding and not placing blame, but moving forward.

Finally we met with a former Tuskegee Airman, Mr. Montgomery. He was a remarkable speaker! He talked abotu his contributions to the fight for justice both as a bomber in World War I and as a person who worked to register voters. I wsa amazed at the fact that his unit, the Tuskegee Airman, never lost a single bomber throughout the entire war, no other unit can make that claim. Mr. Montgomery stated that his call to action was a voice in the back of his head that urged him to return to Selma, his home town to work on voter registration. Years earlier he had been denied the right to register though he jumped through all the hoops presented to him. He felt it his duty to rectify this issue and was able to take pride his in part in making registration unbiased. Mr. Montgomery's overall message to us was that voting is one of the ways to secure rights. After all, as he said, "a voteless people, is a hopeless people."

(Jenny's side note):Mr. Montgomery was an Alpha Phi Alpha, as was our very proud trip leader, Matthew. So moved and inspired by his story, Matthew gave his beloved Alpha dog tags to Mr. Montgomery as a thank you. I don't think there was a dry eye in the house.

Candice Nichols - Day 3

Today we took a long, rocky, rainy boat ride out to Ellis Island. At Ellis Island we were able to see many of the things that the immigrants in the steerage (lower class) endured. In one room it displayed all of the clothes and utensils and the few items that the passengers had. Along the walls of that room were passages of what the passengers though about American on first sights. In another room, there was a replica of the way the beds were set up (piled on top of each other). They were so close to each other there was hardly enough room to sleep overall. This museum gave me a much better look at the challenges and extremes people went through to get to American in hopes of starting a new life. Leaving the island, we nearly lost half the group when they nearly got on the wrong ferry going to New Jersey! But thankfully, we all made it back safely to Battery Park, New York!

The Tenement Museum was our next stop. It was a delightful experience. I had no idea of how people were living when they first came to American. It was amazing to see Victoria Confino (a real immigrant story played by an actor) and to hear her talk about her family and their struggles. What really stuck with me was the exercise when we had to define American. What makes someone American? Who are we willing to include in that definition and who do we exclude?

We spent Friday evening at B’nai Jeshurun. The Shabbat Service that night was amazing as well. Even though I didn’t understand much (it was all in Hebrew), the dancing made me feel included even though I am of a different faith. I didn’t really understand the words to the music but the dancing was phenomenal! I had a great time.

Day Two- Julia Moskowitz and Keilah Johnson

On Day 2, we tackled the big apple Cultural Leadership style. We started off the morning with a meeting with Ed Koch, former mayor of New York City. Koch, a very accomplished man (ended a workers strike, served as mayor three times, wrote a memoir that became an Off-Broadway musical, and volunteered during the civil rights movement) shared his beliefs with us over scones and pulpy orange juice. Although we were receptive to Koch’s views, we definitely were “trouble makers of the best kind” questioning (borderline interrogating) Koch for his comments. Koch shared his most valuable life lesson and advised us not to “spend the rest of your life miserable because you didn’t have the courage to admit that you were wrong.” For any strong willed person, it’s hard to admit defeat. We’re sorry for giving you grey hair Mr. Koch (he he) and we will follow your advice.

After meeting Mr. Koch, we ventured to Park Avenue in the chilly drizzle and heard two inspirational rabbis from the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership. Rabbi Brad Hirschfield praised us for answering our call to become leaders. This sounds absurd but it was a little surprising to be addressed as a leader. When did this happen? He was so supportive of Cultural Leadership’s mission and will become a regular for future trips (You are welcome Class 6!). Rabbi Irwin Kula immediately connected with the group through his honesty. He taught us “you are a leader when you are able to step back from the fray and see the big picture…the higher the view, the more you see. The more you see, the more compassionate you can be.” Even when we encounter people who we don’t agree with we can push our ego aside and experience the ‘view from the top’, which often can lead to a compromise. We are so fortunate to have the rabbis speak with us.

Our next excursion was to the National Urban League. On our way, we ‘trump’ed past the Donald Trump Building and wallowed through Wall Street. When we finally arrived to our destination, we bypassed an intense security situation (“I need to see some identification”) and received a warm welcome from the National Urban League staff. After an expansive history lesson about the National Urban League, we were provided with delectable gourmet catering. (We got juice AND desserts!) We were so thankful for their enthusiasm and raffle (it was rigged, two out of the three winners were trip leaders), it was hard for us to leave. But alas, we moved on.

Next stop, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. We learned their history, were showered with gifts (tote bags, umbrella – we’re set!). After a little law, we headed back home – well, to the hostel. Rabbi Jill Jacobs, one of Newsweek’s 50 most influential rabbis and a strong fighter for social justice, met with us. Rabbi Jacobs was able to mesh two things she cared deeply about – Judaism and social justice. She inspired us to get involved with social justice at an early age and stick with what we are truly passionate about.

After waiting what seemed like eternity for our New York Style pizza (seriously, we almost turned to cannibalism) we chowed down and reflected. Can’t wait for tomorrow!

Day 1- Jenny Harris

If 35 people can in fact be called organized and smooth as they make it their way through airport check in and security, than I’d say we accomplished it. The cabs from the airport were another story. Apparently the idea of “pre-paid” isn’t clear enough because we had to fight with nearly every cab to not charge us again! Alas, lunch was ready for us at the hostel when we arrived and it was yummy. We had a little down time, which I unfortunately spent with Matthew and five students, walking from subway station to subway station in search of a friendly attendant who would sell us week-long metro passes. Don’t think it’d be that hard? Think again! Four stations later, we had them in hand. Man, I love New York! Then it was off to the Simon Wiesenthal Tolerance Center. This is a branch of the Tolerance Center in Los Angeles, dedicated to fulfilling the life work of Simon Wiesenthal, human rights activist and himself a survivor of the Nazi Holocaust. The museum is designed to be an interactive learning experience to better understand the power of words and the power of images in being both inspiration and devastating. But most importantly, they stressed the power of “YOU” in making change. The final video was an emotional and powerful account of the genocides, both past and present that have occurred or, sadly, are still occurring today. History does indeed repeat itself, over and over again if we fail to learn lessons from the past. The Tolerance Center teaches those lessons to the future generations. They were quick to differentiate between tolerant and tolerance—the former being a passive state of mind pertaining to the recognition of others as different and the latter being an active state of being involving effort to learn about and understand others. In practicing tolerance, we are all working to a more just world.

The museum was amazing, but dinner could have outshined the sun. We had dinner at Carnegie Deli and a certain group of boys (you know who you are) ate more than what should be humanly possible. I was secretly proud and can say there was nothing left on anyone’s plate, which if you’ve ever been to Carnegie Deli, is a feat in and of itself. By the end of dinner, we were all exhausted and retreated to the hostel for some much needed sleep. Big day tomorrow, big day the next day, big day the next day, and I’d go on for 23 days total, but I think you all get the picture. Stay tuned, there’s a lot more that awaits Class 5 on this Transformational Journey.