New Canaan Country School American South 2024
April 16, 2024
We started off with a more relaxing wakeup, getting to sleep at 8:30 AM. Unfortunately, Bowen woke up once again feeling under the weather, so he had to return home. This was very sad for the group, but we continued the day and enjoyed breakfast at a local cafe. After, we headed into the French Quarter and were then let off to explore the city. This led to many funny moments as we all interacted with street vendors (including a fortune-reader) and ordered food/souvenirs in stores. We then wrapped up by returning to the cabins and hearing a musical performance from two locals that sing about their Maroon ancestors (enslaved people who escaped into the tall grass, creating communities and living for centuries in the swamps).
These events allowed us to visualize the rich cultural tapestry of New Orleans. Many of us had never been to New Orleans, so we were able to understand the diversity of the city and the many things it has to offer. For example, we learned that there are upwards of 20 different languages spoken in New Orleans. We also learned to be happy and make others around you happy from the songs we heard at night. Today, Bowen’s departure, the music, the city life, altogether reminded us all that our time left together is limited so it’s important to enjoy it together and while participating in new experiences.
From James and Mateo
April 17, 2024
Today started off with an early wake up in our floating cabins outside New Orleans. We made breakfast, packed up, and hit the road for Selma, Alabama. After a five hour drive full of music and games and two gas station stops, we arrived at Zaxby’s in Selma. After eating, we drove to the Edmund Pettus Bridge, site of the 1965 Selma-Montgomery March. We had the opportunity to meet with a local voting rights advocate and then each take a solo walk down the bridge and had time to mentally process and digest everything that we got to see and learn about.
This deeply impacted each and every one of us in a different way, and after we walked across the bridge we had time to debrief and unpack all of our feelings. After the bridge, we had a car ride to Montgomery. In Montgomery, we went to a Civil Rights museum and saw two very impactful films and learned about 42 different people who are considered martyrs for the movement. After this, we went to a park where everyone enjoyed different games like freeze tag and hide and seek. We then walked from the park to a local Thai food restaurant where we all enjoyed delicious food. To end the night, we checked into the hotel and got our rooms. Overall, it was a great day!
From Grace and Maddy
April 18, 2024
Today, we woke up bright and early to go to the Legacy Museum. But first, we went to a diner called Mama’s, and all tried grits (a staple of southern cuisine.) After a delicious breakfast, we walked to the Legacy Museum. The museum was a very influential experience that exposed us to many tragic stories that we had not been familiar with before; We all walked out with a new understanding of the racial terror that is ingrained in American history. The museum covered everything from the beginning of the Transatlantic slave trade to modern issues such as the US prison system. After the museum, we stopped by the gift shop and grabbed lunch at the museum restaurant.
We then took a minute shuttle to one of the museum’s other sites, a lynching memorial a few minutes away. Seeing the amount of people listed for each county that were lynched shocked us, especially the massacres and unrealistic reasons for lynching. After a day full of emotion, we ended with ice cream, great Indian food, and some fun bowling.
From Lily, Marcus, and Michaela
