My Trip to the South

June 2002

 

This past summer was mind boggling. I packed my bags from the comfort of "small quiet liberal town" USA too literally cramming myself into one of three vans to travel 5,000 miles though the harsh reality of life. 

For nineteen days, I along with fifteen other teenagers from the Greater Boston Area, on a Civil Rights tour which was called Project Hip-Hop (Highways Into the Past History Organization and Power).  This opportunity gave me a first hand experience of history and reality that has been blatantly ignored, forgotten and

mistold  in history book classes.

 We made several stops, from, West Virginia to the Mississippi Delta, learning from active veterans of the movement who inspired, touched, and enlightened me with true-life stories of their struggle. 

I learned about many heroes from Fannie Lou Hammer and James Chaney to the devastating problems that face the South today carrying the torch of the struggle of freedom forward,  I believe that it is the responsibility of my generation of shining the light into the darkness of America history.

Jonnie Carr, Cleveland Sellers, and Hollies Watkins became my teacher of life, telling about the struggles and horror they were forced to face at a young age.  For them history is second nature, it pumps in their veins, I learned about the past and learned about what people were people were doing to solve today's problems. 

I also met with youth of my age, that are active in changing their society for the better, and my friends are watching Dawson's Creek sitting in Martin Luther King's church and standing at James Chaney's grave, talking to people who were there and help start a lot of the grass-root organization was amazing. 

This trip was filled with excitement and shock and an under current of sadness. In about twenty years all these veterans will be dead.  With their struggles and our society watches WWF and idolizes Britney Spears.  I ended up believing that the torch of freedom has to be passed and the cause for which thousands sacrificed for their lives should be carried to its goal by my generation.

But the real wakeup call hit me on the twelve-hour ride to carefree home, when I was immersed with the thought that I have to carry the struggle forward and came out a changed person from this experience.

I gained so much knowledge, that I would cheat society and myself if I didn't share and implement my experience and knowledge and tell the truth as it has never been told due to particle censorship.  Being aware and learning what happened was not only enlightening but also empowering. 

My tolerance for hate and racism is at an all time low.  I have now committed myself to fight racism in my life and society at large.

 I have experience more than the average teenager who is solely obsessed with their figure and shades of lipstick does.  My attitude and out look has dramatically changed I feel focused and molded. 

I am finally ready to shine the light in the darkness at the expense of sounding idealistic.  I am determined to contribute to change the reality in the South; at least it is worth my try.

Rahel Ayalew  (Cambridge, Massachusetts)