Hotep and Greetings...
It's not often when a museum provides young African-American men an opportunity for a life-altering moment... but that's exactly what the Lest We Forget Black Holocaust Slavery Museum in the Kensington section of Philadelphia offers as its reason for being... but let me begin at the beginning...
Last week, I had the pleasure and privilege to conduct a teacher professional development program entitled, "Ashay Teacher Summer Enrichment Institute"at the Johnson House Historic Site - the premier Underground Railroad Museum in Philadelphia. The Johnsons were devout Quakers who fervently believed that slavery was not only wrong, but they had a moral obligation to assist freedom-seekers, a.k.a. slaves, on their journey to be free. In addition to public tours, the Johnson House has offered a variety of educational programs over the years; when they invited me to propose a program, I jumped at the opportunity to follow my educational muse - providing teachers with information that fill in the gaps regarding what I call "the lessons of empowerment" that emanate through the history and culture of people of African descent.
The Ashay Teacher Summer Enrichment Institute is an eclectic, stimulating mix of personal, professional, spiritual, cultural and historical investigations. "Know Thy Self" was experienced on the first day; it invited teachers to probe gently their own health and wellness, personally and professionally. Day two contained a plethora of global historical facts with an emphasis on practical application; "how can this information be used in the classroom to empower students?" was the question of the day. Day three was an unforgettable field trip...
The morning began with a movement meditation developed to cultivate a sense of connection to what the day's exploration of slave history would hold: teachers lined up, closely, facing a window, darkened, to symbolize moving out of the light into the terrifying darkness of a slave ship... Eyes closed, we rocked and moaned; I chokingly whispered the desperate cries of those whose horrible fate was beyond imaging. This emotional exercise was followed by a very informative tour of the Johnson House Historic Site. To know that the very floorboards where we stood had held the feet of Harriet Tubman, Lucretia Mott, William Still and even Sojourner Truth was breath-taking... What would the walls say if they could tell their secrets? The Johnson House was so prominent in the Underground Railroad Movement in Philadelphia that a picture of the house itself was drawn on runaway slave wanted posters!
The culmination of this Institute segment was the trip to the Lest We Forget Museum. To prepare us, we watched their award-winning DVD and then the tour was ON... Curators J. Justin and Gwen Ragsdale own the largest private collection of slavery hardware in the United States. Slavery hardware- I'm talkin' shackles, branding irons, chains, whips, iron face masks and mouth bits... The RAW deal on the business of enslavement: the cruelty, inhumanity, the unbelievable, stark-naked Truth. The so-called "peculiar institution" was nasty, shocking in its depravity and complete in its moral debasement. For our driver, it was too much- too much to take in emotionally or wrap the brain around intellectually. She didn't make it past the initial horrifying exhibit room and painful lecture, opting instead to sit in the lobby and read a book.
I didn't blame her. The sheer number of slavery artifacts and their variety was mind-numbing... and the stories behind the individual types of slavery hardware was difficult to hear. Before you could really process the information fully, the "Room of Shame" had its way. The thrust of this exhibit: violence against African Americans "from others and brothers" with the pointed question, "what's the difference?" Upon entering, the lynching pictures loom large and sickening; an actual blood-stained KKK robe takes center stage accompanied by a tree with authentic hanging nooses Mr. Ragsdale bravely snatched from an otherwise innocent tree. But right behind this exhibit is a coffin surrounded by dozens of funeral programs of young African American men, mostly, but a couple of young girls as well. All met an untimely and sad demise by gun, gang, drug, knife and turf violence - senseless violence. I dared not count how many lives, wasted and unfulfilled, were up on that wall!!!
Our small group of teachers was paired with another small group. Poignantly, this group was headed by a mother and her young solider-son who is being deployed to Iraq at the end of the month. He had brought his friends - mostly young Black men like himself - to the museum to share an experience he hoped would be life-changing. We observed him firmly encourage his friends to move up close and personal to the artifacts; we watched him physically nudge his buddies to really look at the wall covered with funeral programs of young men who looked just like them. He wanted them to take it in; he wanted to save their lives. Our prayers are with him as he courageously agrees to put himself in harms' way to defend our country's interest.
The Institute was truly enriched by guest lecturers and world traveling educators Theodore and Elise Erwin. The Erwins have studied in Africa every year for thirty years, visiting nearly all of the 53 countries; they have shared their wealth of knowledge in forums from universities and conferences to churches and the community-at-large. Day four featured their lectures entitled, "Ancient Egypt: Child of Africa" and "Dolls as Artifacts: A Look at Dolls from Africa and the Diaspora." Both lectures were informative and eye-opening, adding breath and depth to the teacher's expanding knowledge base.
By all accounts the Ashay Teacher Summer Enrichment Institute was a jam-packed week of study, reflection, learning, discussion and fellowship; without a doubt, the classrooms of these dedicated teachers will surely operate at a elevated level of knowledge, understanding, motivation and inspiration. I am blessed to live purposefully and it is always an honor to facilitate a teacher's journey into greater knowledge for the benefit of students.
More later... peace and blessings
P.S.: Both The Johnson House and The Lest We Forget Black Holocaust Slavery Museum host very informative educational tours for the public; for more information, visit their websites at www.johnsonhouse.org and www.lestweforgetmuseumofslavery.com and tell them I sent you...
P.S.S.: Check out the ATSEI Photo Album...
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