New Canaan Country School American South 2023
April 17, 2023
We started off the day meeting up at NCCS at 4:45 am. We headed off to JFK airport and flew to New Orleans. Once we got off the plane, we all ate Auntie Em’s pretzels and then we were met by our very cool tour guides, Lauren, Neha, and Chloe. We drove to lunch where most of us tried gumbo, a popular dish in new Orleans. After lunch, we drove to the Whitney plantation. It was founded in 1752 and is filled with history. it was originally called the Habitation Haydel. We first read through a bunch of information on the museum walls and answered a few questions. After that, we were taken on a tour which walked us through the plantation and taught us the history of it. We learned how sugar cane was made and the conditions of slaves. we visited 3 important memorials dedicated to slaves who worked at the Whitney plantation. Once we left, we went to a park and took a bunch of cute pictures at a really cool tree called the Tree of Life. It was huge. We then gathered in a circle and made a contract about how we should treat each other this week. Then we went to dinner and ate a lot of yummy food. To finish the day, we went to the cabins and hung out with our roommates until we fell asleep.
By: Caroline, Blaine, Consuelo
April 18, 2023
This morning on April 18th, we got up early and got ready for some breakfast. We had some delicious bagels and bacon egg and cheese at Backatown Cafe. Then right after, we met up with Malik, a man whose family has been embedded in the local neighborhood of Treme. He gave us a walking tour around multiple historic locations around Treme, like the Congo Square in the Armstrong park, the Mahalia Jackson Statue, and many different old houses with unique architecture. While giving us the fabulous tour, Malik also filled us in with a bunch of history on the locations which we all took in great appreciation. After our tour with Malik, we had the notorious fried chicken at the infamous Lil Dizzy’s. Overalls would give a it 9.8/10. After lunch, we went and visited the Backstreet Museum to learn about Mardi Gras and the tradition behind it. We saw many cool costumes and learned about the different Mardi Gras Indians. After visiting the museum, we went shopping and everyone participated in a scavenger hunt in the French Quarter. We all tried beignets and sang and danced with local singers. For dinner we went to a really good hotdog and sausage place. Now, we go to sleep.
By: Dean & Larson
April 19, 2023
Today, we woke up early in order to catch the beautiful sunrise in New Orleans before heading to Selma, Alabama. After arriving at Selma, following a 5-hour commute, we went through a museum that provided more detail about the historical march from Selma to Montgomery. Then, we talked with 2 important members involved with the civil rights movements and heard about their life experiences with the march. Afterward, we individually walked across the bridge and took in the moment to realize the effort and perseverance people put into this accomplishment. We were able to imagine what it felt like to see police and officials on the other side of bridge, and how the only option was to move forward. The other side of the bridge contained memorials dedicated to activists who played a major role in the success of the march. After admiring the heart that these people had to fight for what they wanted, we walked as a group across the bridge, back to the vans. We went to a good bbq place to sit down and eat some lunch. When we finished our food, we had a 1 hour drive to the hotel we were staying at in Montgomery, AL. When we arrived at the hotel, we checked in, got our room and roommates, and then had some pool time before dinner. After pool time, we got ready for dinner and headed out to an Indian restaurant, where we got to try new things we never had before, and had a good time. We drove back to the hotel and settled in for the night, having a long day ahead of us.
By: Peter and Andres
April 20, 2023
Today was a heavy day. But it started off not so heavy with a nice breakfast at the hotel before heading off to go to the Legacy Museum. The Legacy Museum is a museum that talks all about racism and slavery in the United States. It includes not only facts, but also personal stories. Though one of the best parts was the interactive areas for it really opens ones eyes to the reality of the United States history as well as what is happening in the US right now. It also puts all the stuff we have read in history in to things happening before our eyes. After the saddening walkthrough of the Legacy Museum we walked to lunch to eat some Caribbean food and some delicious smoothies. Once everyone finished their smoothies we walked to the National Memorial for Peace and Justice. Another very sad and heavy place. As we walked through we learned that so many people weren’t recorded but still died a tragic death. We finished off the heavy part of the day at the Southern Poverty Law Center. It connected everything we learned today to things happening nowadays. Finally we went back to the hotel to have an hour of restful downtime before doing a reflection on everything that happened. Then we drove to eat dinner at Sol, a Mexican restaurant. Lastly we went bowling. It was a great way to finish out the day.
By: Lillian and Capone
