Only Those with No Power Understand Power
Interview with Charlotte Clymer
Today, after a scheduling mixup, we finally interviewed Charlotte Clymer. An ally to the LGBTQIA+ community, she was by far my favorite interviewee. I found her diverse and, some might say, contradictory background incredibly fascinating, and the opportunity to speak with her is something I will always value. She began by talking about her military experience and her belief in the importance of public service, whether it is in the military, Peace Corps, health care or any other area that requires service to others. She had a lot of advice related to politics and social issues, the most significant of which to me was the issue of gender inequality. We discussed how both women and men are infantilized and how the only way to overcome this is to maintain high standards for others and ourselves. She stated that the “boys will be boys” attitude is the most offensive thing that can be said about boys or men. Society has a low standard for men. They are expected to be masculine, violent, and in control. When men don’t display these traits, they aren’t seen as men. However, when they do demonstrate these traits and their actions become extreme, we make excuses for them and say, “boys will be boys.” She wants us to raise our standards and show greater respect for men and women alike. Holding a high standard for ourselves makes us good people and encourages those around us to be better as well.
She also spoke on our shortcomings as a country – not to demoralize us but to motivate us. We as a society need to act on the opportunities that are presented to us. A great example is how countries around the world responded after the attacks on 9/11. Countries around the world, including “enemies” such as Iran, reached out in peace to pay their respects. Unfortunately, we did nothing to foster those potential relationships. On the topic of gun laws, she said that the fact that some states regulate gun purchases responsibly while others do not is ridiculous. The result is that a person can purchase a gun in one state and then travel to another state and use that gun to wreak havoc, and everything up to the point that the gun is used is perfectly legal. This situation results in distrust of our government and our fellow citizens. More effort needs to be put into the fight to change gun laws, international relations, gender inequality, LGBTQIA+ rights – and so much more – but we can do it.
On our final morning in DC, I was excited to interview our last interviewee, Charlotte Clymer. Charlotte is a transgender activist and serves on the DC Commission for Persons with Disabilities. She works to educate, advocate, and create equity and equality in our country.
I had been very interested to hear from her, specifically on her views of the new generation as we come into positions of power. Something interesting that she said is that only those who have no power understand power. In other words, those who face racial, gender, or other forms of discrimination best understand the effects that decisions by people in power have. Officials who have never had the experience of feeling dehumanized or weak do not really understand the power that they wield. I found her perspective very illuminating, as I had never thought about the effects the decisions of unprepared leaders can have on others, especially when those leaders have no connection to the people affected by their decisions.
Charlotte has made me think about how I should see others. I should assume that everyone has their own experience with pain in their lives. By not immediately assuming that people are bad just because they think or act differently than I do, I can avoid projecting my own ideas onto them, and I can see them better as real human beings.
Charlotte Clymer gave me the most unique perspective on my own outlook on our world. She spoke about many different topics, from her connection with God and her faith to controversial topics like gun laws. One of the topics she spoke about that really resonated with me is understanding people from different communities.
She stated that you can only understand other people that have different backgrounds if you interact with them and hang around them. You have to get a sense of the community that they are a part of, such as—LGBTQ+ communities in this case. This statement opened my eyes to see how isolated we can be and how much we really don’t understand one another. We have to wake up and realize that for our world to be the peaceful sanctuary that we strive for, we need to come together as one by respecting each other’s views and developing the capability to understand each other.
A little later in the interview, she expressed how our task as the future of our nation is to create conversations that lead to consensus, and consensus can only be created if we listen to others. In this day and age, we are focused on what’s right in front of us in the present moment, which can keep us from thinking about the future. An example of this that I see that Charlotte discussed as well is the crisis regarding gun ownership. I see posts on social media platforms that have been expressing their concerns for many years, but no real action has been taken to prevent the abuse of gun rights. In order for us to accomplish the task, we have to be able to push beyond what we know and not only listen but understand.
Our interview with Charlotte was the most mind-altering experience that I have had since coming to DC. I really learned a lot from her regarding what we have to do in order for our country and our world to be the place that we want it to be.
Our last day in DC was wonderful. We had the honor of speaking with LGBTQIA+ activist Charlotte Clymer. She is one of the sweetest and most down to earth people I’ve met. It was incredible the way she carried herself with grace and spoke knowledgeably. This interview was the perfect way to wrap up our trip.
One of my favorite things she said to us is that it’s up to our generation to make a difference. She mentioned that her generation won’t have to deal with the full effects of certain things like climate change, whereas our generation will, and it’s up to us to make a difference. She talked about how hard work can get us anywhere, an idea that all the interviewees this week discussed. I’ll keep that in mind when I’m back home. Another thing she said that’s “coming home with me” is that “hurt people hurt people.” Related to this idea is the idea that the most dangerous person is someone who doesn’t feel heard, and I think it’s our job as a generation to help change that by working to give a voice to everybody.
The American Dream Is Personal
Interview with Senator Ben Cardin
This afternoon we interviewed Senator Cardin, who has held his seat in the Senate since 2007. Our interview with him was short, only thirty minutes. Senator Cardin has been a chairman of the Helsinki Commission since 2006, and in 2015 he was named the Special Representative on Anti-Semitism, Racism, and Intolerance for the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, a position he still holds. During our interview, Senator Cardin discussed a number of interesting topics, one of them being a bill that the state of Maryland just passed that allows people to work in public service for the government for a year as a way of getting into college.
When asked what he thinks the American Dream is and whether or not it’s achievable for our generation, he said that his idea of the American Dream is “personal” and comes largely from his grandfather. He told a story about his grandfather selling vegetables from a small cart that he would push down the street. Because of the war in Europe at the time, his grandfather had to decide whether to stay in Europe or move to America. He chose to start a new life in America and work hard to create opportunities for his children. Senator Cardin stated that wants everyone to obtain their own version of the American Dream. I asked him a question about our generation and the number of new and complex issues that affect our future. In his response, he said, “do jobs or engage in hobbies that will make you happy” and to “work hard to meet challenges.”
-Peter S.
Today I had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing Senator Ben Cardin, a senior US senator from Maryland. I was extremely inspired by what he had to say to us. What stood out for me most was what he had to say about the American Dream: “I think the American Dream is personal, and it is achievable for everyone, but you must work for it.” I found Senator Cardin to be very easy going and open minded. An example of his open mindedness was the way he described working with Republicans in the Senate, many of whom hold very different views from his own. When discussing a recent gun bill that became law, he stated that although it was not everything he wanted, it was far better than nothing, and passing it required cooperation and compromise: “Did I think that was enough? No. Was it progress? Yes. Do I think more needs to be done? Yes, but progress is better than standing still.” I completely agree with his perspective, because we cannot wait around for the perfect gun law while horrible shootings continue to occur, and it is better to fix only part of the problem than to fix none of it.
Finally, Senator Cardin had plenty of advice for us in the interview: “Expect the unexpected,” “Find out what really satisfies your psyche,” and “You have a lot of time left, so focus on what makes you happy.”
A Nation Without Its Youth Has No Future
You never know what or who you’ll encounter in this town. We were scheduled to do a meet and greet with Rep. Panetta, but when we arrived at the Capitol to meet him he was speaking in a press briefing about the International Criminal Court’s charges against Vladimir Putin. However, the event turned out to be a great learning opportunity. Rep. Panetta’s scheduler, Alexa, let us through so that we could stand with the press. Rep. Panetta was joined by Rep. Don Bacon, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, and Ukrainian Ambassador to the US Oksana Markarova.
The purpose of the press briefing was to bring attention to Russia’s taking Ukrainian children back to Russia. Oksana Markarova described how by taking away Ukraine’s children, Putin is taking away part of their country, because a nation without its youth has no future. This idea particularly affected me, as it is horribly cruel to take children from their families, especially since Putin is trying to take back a country that rightfully gained its independence in 1991. Ukraine has a rich culture, and I’m hopeful that Russia does not succeed in destroying it.
As the press briefing ended, we made our way to the steps of the Capitol, where Shannon explained that this is the first time in history that the ICC has issued an arrest warrant for the leader of such a large country and that this is a very big deal. Not only were we fortunate to witness such a historic moment, but we were fortunate to stumble upon such a great learning opportunity.
Before our meet and greet with Rep. Jimmy Panetta today, we were fortunate to attend a press brief on the Ukraine War. With the Capitol in the background, Rep. Panetta, Rep. Bacon, Sen. Klobuchar, and Oksana Markarova, the Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S, discussed the International Criminal Court’s charges against Vladimir Putin for his kidnapping of Ukrainian children, as well as Panetta and Bacon’s House resolution in support of the ICC.
As they spoke, I felt sorrow and anger. Prior to the press conference, I had been aware of the invasion of Ukraine, but I was unaware of Putin’s atrocious scheme to take children from Ukraine to bring them to Russia. Throughout the brief, I learned that only 306 out of the 16,000 Ukrainian children who have been taken from their families have been returned to their homes. Rep. Bacon accused Putin of “ripping them from their sunflowers, from their culture, and from their blue and yellow flag.” Later, after our short conversation with Rep. Panetta, I learned that by taking these children from their families and indoctrinating them into Russian culture, Russia is attempting to strip them of their Ukrainian identity, thus “breaking apart the Ukrainian country.”
Reflecting on this experience, I came to an epiphany. While it is easy to focus on issues relating directly to me and my country, international issues are just as significant. Witnessing this press briefing first hand inspired me to learn more and work to solve issues on an international scale in general. More specifically, I want to advocate for issues that are important to me. As Judge Friedman told us earlier in the day, I may not yet have a vote, but I do have a voice that I can use to advocate for myself, my country, and my world.
Congressman Jimmy Panetta met us on the stairs of the Capitol today so we could talk to him and ask him a few questions. He had just finished a press conference regarding the kidnapping of Ukrainian children by Russian forces. It was exciting to see him in real life because I have seen his face on signs and posters all over Santa Cruz. I could tell that he is an experienced politician by the confident way that he carries himself. Talking to him was very interesting, but I was disappointed that we didn’t get to interview him formally, because I have several questions I would love to hear him answer.
The first thing he spoke about was the importance of public service and why selfless work for the good of others is beneficial. I already knew that he had served in the military, so I asked him if that was his first job in public service. He impressed me with his response. He described the various public service jobs he held before and after the military, including working in restaurants as a waiter, doing maintenance work, doing cleaning work on a fishing ship off the coast of Alaska, and a number of other hard jobs.
Not only was I impressed and motivated by the things he had to say, but I learned a valuable lesson from him that applies to my life right now while I begin thinking about college and my future. He said it is all right not to know exactly what you want to do yet. There are many decisions and challenges that I will face in life, but they don’t all have to be faced at once, so there is no need to stress too much about the future. He emphasized the idea that the best way to decide what you truly want to do is to try everything and see what you like. He also emphasized the idea of becoming good at whatever you do as a way of building character: “Be the best at everything you do, no matter what.” Every job is important, and working hard is the best way to move up and succeed. I am determined to always remember what he said and put it into practice in my own life.
We Need to Drown Out this Hate, Deprive it of Oxygen, Knock it Down from its Platform
Panel Discussion at Office of Justice Programs (Department of Justice)
Talking to the Department of Justice panelists today gave me a new perspective on government and public service. Before meeting with them, I was unaware of the struggles that government workers experience with balancing their own opinions with the interests of those in the public whose lives they affect. DOJ attorney Linda Seabrook said something that struck me when asked about an article she had written: “It’s hard not to take a pessimistic viewpoint … we need to … drown out this hate, deprive it of oxygen, knock it down from its platform.” Her response helped me understand better that as a society we put a great deal of pressure on our politicians and decision makers, and it’s difficult for them to get everything “right.” Furthermore, the decisions they make weigh heavily on them too. I came to realize that these are “real” people making difficult decisions that they know affect other “real” people.
I came to this same realization during our other interviews today. Earlier in the day, we had the opportunity to speak with a group of military personnel during our Pentagon tour. Josh Clemmens, a US Army pilot, stated that you have to stay true to your decisions even when they involve life and death. Learning that people who are responsible for the lives of others understand all too well the human consequences of their decisions helped to humanize those in positions of power. I came to realize that public servants understand the human consequences of their decisions and that it is a mistake to take the popular view that they are not “human” like the rest of us. In another interview, former Secretary of the Interior Bernhardt mentioned that when making decisions it’s important to stay true to the law despite one’s own ideology. Contradictions can arise, because you face the decision to sacrifice either your own beliefs or your oath to uphold the law. Public officials make difficult decisions that affect people every day. It is therefore important to humanize government workers and politicians. We have to “drown out [the] hate” that many in the public have towards public servants and come to see them as people whose jobs have them serving us.
Today we interviewed four officials from the Department of Justice: Chris Fisher, Mariel Lifshitz, Linda Seabrook, and Eddie Bocanegra. I was particularly excited to interview Eddie Bocanegra because of his unique background and his work helping those affected by violence. Beginning in his teenage years, Eddie was imprisoned for fourteen years for a gang-related homicide. He grew up in a poor neighborhood where the DOJ had a reputation for breaking apart families and making life difficult for his community. Despite his rough start in life, Eddie now works as senior adviser for community violence intervention in the Office of Justice Programs at the DOJ. Eddie explained that his focus is on “leveraging” resources to help law enforcement and underserved communities work together to solve problems in those communities.
Although the other DOJ panelists do not share Eddie’s background, they all share his passionate commitment to bridging the gap between underserved communities and the criminal justice system, focusing on racial justice, behavioral health, community violence intervention, and police reform. Before the interview, I felt a disconnect between government officials and myself as a citizen. I think I had lost a lot of faith in our government with respect to humanitarian issues such racial justice and violence intervention. However, after the interview, my faith in government officials and my hope for the future was to a great extent restored.
Today we interviewed people from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention at the Department of Justice. The panelist I was most excited to interview is Linda Seabrook, who works in the Office of Justice Programs as Senior Counsel of Racial Justice and Equity, focusing on increasing outreach to underserved communities through government programs and initiatives. She began her legal career as an assistant solicitor or prosecutor, because she wanted to work for justice for women and girls of color.
I asked a question about an article she wrote in 2017, “A Love Letter to Charlottesville.” In the article, she examines the Unite the Right rally and her own personal connection to Charlottesville. Her words deeply affected me: “We have to learn from the actions of the people of Charlottesville and drown out this hate – deprive it of oxygen, knock it down from its platform.” Many in our country want people to forget the disturbing parts of our history, and the result is that we end up repeating myths instead of learning about and from the past.
I wanted to know if Seabrook sees any change in our country since the events of 2017 or if we have learned anything from them. Seabrook responded that she doesn’t want to be pessimistic, but she hasn’t seen improvement, and she thinks that things have even worsened. She recalled that in the past she and colleagues who held different political opinions still got along. However, now there is pressure on officials not to interact with those who hold different views. However, although things are bad right now, there is still reason for hope. We can deprive hate of “oxygen” by making the effort to create and maintain connections with others. Understanding the perspectives of those with different opinions humanizes both them and ourselves, and it is only through humanizing people that we can make all of our lives better.
A Lesson in Service to Others
Visit to the Pentagon
Today, Officer Anthony Jackson gave us a tour of the Pentagon. His current position is Police Officer with the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, Pentagon Police Directorate, Third Platoon. Before that, he has served as a sergeant in the US army. Throughout the tour, I felt great admiration and appreciation for his many fine character traits, such as humility, curiosity, compassion, and strong willpower. Officer Jackson went to great lengths to give us the best experience he could give us. Throughout the tour, I heard many comments about his dedication and service to his country and the American people, and I stayed by his side the entire time we walked.
After bringing us into the building, he led us to a room where he introduced us to a panel of people from the Army, Air Force, and Marines that he had assembled for us. Because we were unaware that we were going to meet a panel of military personnel, we had no questions prepared for them. I think I speak for all of us when I say that we were all moved not only by their individual stories but also by their motivation and commitment to service. Although we had not prepared questions for them, we were eager to ask a number of questions, and it was obvious that we were all grateful for the opportunity to speak to them.
I was especially moved to see women serving proudly in the military, and I was excited to talk to such strong women. In recent years, more women have come to hold positions of power that only men used to hold. Meeting these women helped me to imagine myself doing all the things I grew up watching only men do, and I felt very inspired.
After the discussion, Officer Jackson showed us the headquarters for the Marine Corps and the new Space Force. Both areas included interesting displays on the walls depicting different aspects of each branch of service. There was information about important people and events, and there was even a display dedicated to science fiction movies related to space and the Space Force.
The last part of the tour was the most personal part of the tour for him and the most emotional for us. Officer Anthony Jackson was training to be an army sergeant during the attacks on September 11, 2001. Although he was not in any of the cities where the attacks occurred, he was dispatched to do security clearance at the Pentagon to make sure no one could enter the perimeter while people were working at the site. We stood in the very spot where the Pentagon was hit, which is now an open corridor between two walls. One of the walls was rebuilt after the attack, and so it is a different color from the other wall, which was preserved and included scorch marks from the fire. You could see the emotion on his face as he talked about the attack, and he was incredibly vulnerable and respectful as he spoke about it. I had never shared such intense, raw, and vulnerable feelings with someone before. I deeply appreciate him, and I won’t forget what he shared with us.
Today we had a full and exciting day. We woke up early, got ourselves ready, and then rode the Metro to the Pentagon. It was unique and humbling to experience life as a DC local. This was only the second time I had taken the Metro in DC. When we arrived at the Pentagon, I was amazed at the number of government officials and the size of the Pentagon.
The experience at the Pentagon was surreal. There were people in official uniforms everywhere, and there was intense security. After a brief orientation, our tour guide, Officer Anthony Jackson, led us to a room of panelists to interview. Along the way, he showed us various shops and services and dispensed interesting pieces of information. For example, we learned that there are seventeen miles of hallway in the Pentagon. We also viewed paintings of previous chiefs of staff. I was in awe of the history on display and amazed that our country and its government have stood the test of time.
The panelists were all knowledgeable and informative. Each was from a different branch of the military. I found Officer O’Connor especially interesting as he spoke about his experience working with nuclear and other hazardous materials. After the interview, he told me about how he previously worked with nuclear power in Hong Kong and that in just a few weeks he’s going to Texas to conduct a simulation of a nuclear attack. This topic has always fascinated me, and it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to talk to someone who works on it as a profession.
All the panelists gave great advice, and they all agreed that it’s okay not to know what you want to do in life at my age, as I still have plenty of time to find my calling. As a high school junior, I found this advice refreshing. I’m very grateful for the experience the Values in World Thought curriculum has given me.
Today, our class toured the Pentagon with Officer Anthony Jackson. We viewed the Space Force wing and the Marines Corps wing, and we interviewed a panel of members from different branches of the military. The panel was the most interesting and engaging part of the day for me, as the members of the panel were all very well spoken and seemed like they really wanted to talk to us. My favorite panelist was Officer Josh Clemmons, who pilots “Little Bird” helicopters. He is an incredibly relatable person, appearing more “human” than I had previously imagined someone in the military to be. One thing he said that stuck with me was that the hardest lesson that he’s learned so far was the impact that a decision can make. He gave an example of sending a group of specialists on a mission and having them all return, and another time sending a different group on a mission and having only some of them return.
Before today, I had always thought of the government and the military as huge impersonal entities that functioned independently of the greater good, rather than a group of people who are just trying hard to make the best decisions that they can in service to others. Several of the panelists admitted that they really haven’t always known what they want to do with their lives and advised that someone my age doesn’t need to know yet what to do in life. I’ve been focused on becoming a firefighter for some time now, and I haven’t really been considering other options as much as I should have. They made me realize that although it’s nice for me to have a passion and a general idea of what I want to do, I should take every opportunity that I can to learn and experience something new, knowing that possibilities and opportunities aren’t always predictable.
A Society at Peace with Itself, A Society that Can Live with Its Conscience
On our first full day in DC, we visited the National Museum of African American History and Culture. During our walk around the museum, a quotation on a glass case caught my eye, as did the pounds of sugar filling the case. Sitting on top of the sugar was a large and heavy-looking iron bowl. The first part of the quotation was poetic: “Sugar—sweeter, more powerful, and more deadly than gold. Unlike gold, sugar could be grown; it provided the possibility of unlimited wealth.” I was taken aback. I had never thought about the idea that if you have a certain amount of money you just have a fixed amount of money, but if you have sugar or another similar resource, you have a continuing source of money. Slave owners wanted human labor to maintain their sugarcane crops and their continual source of profit. The more sugar you could grow, the more slaves you needed to grow and harvest that sugar, and the more profit you could make. It was a continual cycle: more money, more sugar, more people needed to maintain that sugar, more money, more sugar, more people, etc.
The second part of the quotation on the glass case was a statement of fact: “Life expectancy for an enslaved worker on early sugar plantations was seven years. Mortality rates were thirty percent. The amount of the world’s sugar produced by enslaved Americans in 1787 was ninety percent.” It’s hard to imagine these percentages in real, human terms: out of every ten enslaved Americans, three were murdered. This relatively small exhibit made me think deeply about things that I had not thought about before, and I greatly appreciated the experience. What you learn can stick with you and even change you. This experience has changed me, and I think it will always stick with me.
Today we visited the National Museum of African American History and Culture. All the exhibits were extremely interesting, and it is almost impossible to see everything the museum has to offer in one day. For example, I didn’t get to see the music exhibits, which I think I would have found most interesting. Cooper told me that he saw Chuck Berry’s red Cadillac and some of his musical instruments. Jimi Hendrix’s personal items, such as his jacket and one of his amps, were also on display. I’ll need to go back to the museum one day to see the rest of it, especially the musical exhibits.
My favorite exhibit was in the visual arts area of the museum. I especially liked a quilt hanging on a wall like a tapestry. It had the image of Harriet Tubman in a flowing dress, sitting on a wooden chair. What was most interesting was the appearance of her clothes. The bottom of her dress appeared to be woven from a colorful, flowery landscape: there were many vibrant purple flowers, surrounded by many colors. Each section of the dress contained different types of flowers and other colorful items. There were playful birds on the sleeves, and at the bottom of the dress was a lion staring at the viewer. When I first looked at the quilt, I didn’t catch all the detail, but as I looked closer I noticed what seemed like miniature worlds embedded in the fabric. I liked how the artist used red and blue to represent light and shadow on her face and hands, which I thought was a creative way to give the piece depth and dimension. It was quilted together, and the colors were vibrant. To appreciate a work of art fully, one needs to experience it in person and not simply view it in a book or on the internet. The experience just isn’t the same. I was able to discern subtle textures and differences in color. I think that the piece had a deeper meaning that I couldn’t fully comprehend in one viewing. If I ever return to DC, I definitely want to view it again.
Today we took the African American History tour and visited many memorials and monuments related to African American history. I particularly liked the African American Civil War Memorial. The memorial includes a statue with a different depiction of African American history on each side of it. On one side is a depiction of three soldiers engaged in battle, and on the other side is a depiction of a family. Dre’, our tour guide, explained to us that the side with the soldiers represents the reality of the war, while the side with the family represents the humanity for which they were fighting. After reflecting on the memorial and discussing it with my peers, I came to realize what the memorial means to me. I see it as representing different kinds of fighting or struggling. The military arms that the soldiers carry represent overt physical fighting or struggle, while the family represents a more abstract and emotional kind of struggle, the struggle for human rights as an African American.
The memorial features a quotation from Frederick Douglass that expresses this idea of struggle: “Who would be free themselves must strike the blow. Better even die than to live slaves.” Tens of thousands of African Americans fought in the war for the chance to escape slavery. They fought for their own freedom and the freedom of others, and in doing so they risked and in many cases sacrificed their lives. I had already learned about slavery in US History class, but this quotation deepened my understanding of the reality of slavery. As a Hispanic woman living in the twenty-first century, I cannot know the reality of slavery firsthand, but today I came to understand better what the experience of slavery meant to those who endured it.
The National Museum Of African American History and Culture preserves and celebrates the rich heritage of African Americans. I was particularly interested to learn about the history of African Americans in the music industry. There were seemingly endless walls celebrating African American artists from genres such as psychedelic funk, R&B, soul, blues, and gospel. Not only did I learn more about artists with whom I was already familiar, but I was introduced to dozens of African American musical artists I had never heard of who had an impact on the music industry and American culture.
I especially liked learning about the impact that these artists had both on the genres in which they performed and on how we think about American society. An exhibit entitled “Revolutions of Sound” depicted how artists such as Prince tackled social issues such as racial segregation, unequal pay, and the discrimination to which black artists have been subjected. The museum did an amazing job of presenting difficult and traumatic aspects of history while displaying the beauty and power of the musical achievements of African American artists. I nearly came to tears while viewing a display of an African American artist singing about inequality, surrounded by black and white people holding each other and crying. I felt the emotion and connection the music brought to the people listening. I am most grateful for the opportunity to visit this magnificent museum, and I hope that next year’s students will experience the same thoughts and emotions I experienced today.
Today was our first day in DC, and we enjoyed sunny weather. The humidity came as a bit of a shock, but it was a good change anyway. The neighborhood we’re staying in this week is gorgeous and looks like something from a fairy tale, with colorful houses, beautiful flowers, and all sorts of green living things everywhere. The Metro is very convenient and a fun way to travel about the city and view it.
The most important part of the day for me was our trip to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. The more I read and saw, the more horrified I became at the history of slavery. Dehumanizing people in any way is disturbing, but learning about the ways in which slave owners did not comprehend the inhumanity of their actions was particularly disturbing. This part of American history should be discussed more, to acknowledge the inhumanity and cruelty of slavery and to honor the lives of those who were enslaved. The exhibit in the museum that most affected me was a drawing of slaves being transported in ships across the Atlantic. The drawing showed human beings herded together like animals and stacked on one another like lumber. Words only begin to express the horror depicted in the drawing. Standing before such a graphic representation of such an abominable part of US history deepened the understanding of it that I gained from US History class and deepened my empathy for those Americans whose lives were a part of this terrible part of US history.
During our African American History tour today, our tour guide, Dre’, asked us, “What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?” When I thought about what my response would be, I acknowledged that the first answer that came to my mind was the one people typically believe: “Got rid of slavery?” Dre’s eyes narrowed when someone yelled out that answer, indicating that it wasn’t the answer he wanted to hear. Someone gave a more specific answer: “It declared that all persons held as slaves within the rebellious states “henceforward shall be free.” Dre nodded his head a little, but he was still unsatisfied. I thought more about his question, and I began to realize that the answer was something that many in my country don’t know. Dre’ explained that the Emancipation Proclamation was limited in many ways. First, it only applied to states that had seceded from the Union, which meant that slavery remained accepted in the loyal border states. Secondly, the Proclamation exempted Confederate states that were under Union control. Therefore, slavery wasn’t abolished nationwide. So what exactly did the Emancipation Proclamation do? Absolutely nothing.
We then visited the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Anya and I explored the museum together, and we began our visit on the bottom floor, in the “History Gallery.” As we waited in line, a staff member said to us, “If you guys get scared, don’t complain to me, because I am about to clock out and don’t want to deal with that right now.” I laughed, but it was daunting to learn that the gallery I was about to enter upset people that much. The gallery recounted events from the start of the Transatlantic Slave Trade to the late-1870’s and the failure of Reconstruction. The portion of the exhibit that affected me most was a long, dark room that showed what life was like for those who were transported across the Atlantic. I learned that when the Spaniards transported slaves, they wouldn’t stick their heads in the cargo holds of the ship because the smell was unbearable. I also learned that by the time a ship arrived at its destination, the majority of those being transported had died. I turned to face a pair of shackles. A couple standing next to me held their arms next to the shackles to see which ones would fit their wrists. At first I was disgusted. I then thought that perhaps they didn’t fully understand the reality of this historical event. Then I came to another idea: perhaps they were trying to experience some of that reality for themselves. When we learn about history it often doesn’t seem real, due to a lack of lived experience.
I’ve always thought that learning about slavery is horrifying, but my experience today in the museum was gut wrenching, knowing that people are capable of exploiting others without consequence or remorse.
On the morning of our first full day in DC, we were fortunate to visit the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial as part of the African-American history tour. I was particularly excited about visiting this memorial because during our Values class this semester I wrote about it as part of an assignment to research memorials and monuments in DC. The experience of viewing the memorial in person was surreal, as I came to the realization that I was actually standing in Washington, DC, gazing at the granite image of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Around me, people were taking photos and surveying the memorial solemnly. I felt a sense of community with those around me who share my appreciation of the work and ideas of MLK. The memorial made this connection with others tangible, despite differences in age, gender, race, and geography.
Walking along the wall of engraved quotations from MLK, I came across one quotation that deeply affected me: “We must come to see that the end we seek is a society at peace with itself, a society that can live with its conscience.” I grasped its significance more fully when I viewed the historical section of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. I realized that the museum represents both our country’s successes and its failures at “living with its conscience.” I think that our class began a process of learning about some of our country’s disappointments and cleansing ourselves of the delusion of American perfection that we are often expected to believe.