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!