I've been amazed thus far at the willingness of our students to engage in conversations and personal reflections on the tour and the sites we have seen. They have taken the term "mobile classroom" in its most literal sense. Tonight, I invited the students to visit me in the lobby of our Memphis hotel to discuss the past couple of days and especially the idea of "public history" and its value. After some 90 minutes of lively exchange, I had to send them to their rooms for a little rest. Tomorrow is another exciting, yet tough bit of travel from Memphis to Clarksdale and Oxford, MS and on to Birmingham, AL [with the heat index reaching into the triple digits].
Below are some of the written reactions from students' journals after our Tennessee excursions.
from Sydney Espy - on sit-ins
If I was a part of the sit-in [protest] in Tennessee, I would be able to remain non-violent. I think that in order to show maturity and prove a point, non-violence shows power and strength. Even though it was for a good cause, it would be hard to tolerate people spitting on me, or calling me the "N" word. For that, I admire the people who went through it so that I could have freedom to sit anywhere I wanted without any trouble.
from Geordea Herron - on the National Civil Rights Museum
Today we toured the Lorraine Motel, and I couldn't believe that I was actually there. I was so excited. There was so much to learn and a lot of the information I saw I didn't know! I really want to take my education even more seriously; I'm happy that I was able to participate.
from Nevahl Nixon - at the Lorraine Motel
The trip is very interesting so far. I am already thinking about how I can use this experience to make a change in someone else's life. I am looking forward to going to Memphis and seeing the museums and their relevance.
. . . This is a breathtaking sight to see. I have so many things racing through my mind. You hear about this place all your life; but once you're here, it's amazing.
very nice reflection. Keep us posted on the learning and progress.
ReplyDeleteI am enjoying reading the poems and reflections from your experiences. I feel as though I am living vicariously thru your blog, You all are on an amazing journey seeing history as well as making history I look forward to reading more as the journey continues. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI'm proud of you Sydney that you believe you could remain non-violent in a threatening situation. Non-violence is a choice that is sometimes hard to make. Sometimes we just have to do the right thing just because it is the right thing to do. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeletefrom Breanna Washington
ReplyDeleteCould I practice non-violence? Yes, I could. I feel like being violent doesn't solve anything. It's all about practicing home training. If you are taught to control yourself at home, you follow the same tactics in public - just based on how you grow up.