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.