Best for last, in my humble opinion. We spent today in the town of Cambridge, MD with Kisha and Dion of the Eastern Shore Network for Change. These two are absolute, unwavering champions of Civil Rights and Equality on the Eastern Shore and beyond. And not just champions of it all, they have lived through it all. For the kids to see and learn of the origins of the Civil Rights movement directly from the source is an honor. And they responded well; asking insightful, deep questions and making connections to issues beyond Cambridge. Those insights showed up at the Harriet Tubman Museum as well. Another figure in the fight for freedom who let NOTHING get in her way. Just the most powerful and ispiring way we could possibly imagine ending our trip.
-"I didn't know much about Harriet Tubman, but now I know WHY she was such an amazing person!" Carson
"I think it was really impactful to see the difference between the white and black community and how differently they are treate still, because of red-lining." Arlo
"What Kisha and Dionne are doing for Cambridge and Civil RIghts is incredible. And walking the actual streets that Harriet Tubman walked was really like walking in history, like Keisha and Dion said." Kyler
Today our class went on an exploratory expedition to our nation's capital! First, we went to the African American History and Culture Museum. We were risk takers, and opened our minds to African American cultural identity and sensitive history. Then, we went to the Air and Space Museum (YAY!). We saw airplanes and Nia almost exploded with joy on the ride there. Other students were not as impressed, but still were fascinated by the evolution and engineering that aerospace technology has gone through.
After making our way through the sweltering heat and tempting Boba trucks, 🧋the class finally made it to the bus. The humid enviroment was evident when you could spot sweat on our peer's brows, also when after driving a few minutes with the AC blasting the bus broke down at the side of the road and could not start up again. (I guess it was over heated too!) Sitting on the heated pavement, we were overjoyed when the guides provided ice cream. The amazing and satisfying ice cream gave us strength to stay calm. All of us were suprisingly "cow like" and our leaders were very proud that we endured without complaints! Finally, after the new buses arrived we made it home for a hearty spaghetti dinner. (❤️ YAY!)
Working on a reasonably full night's sleep today (7 hrs rather than 3.5) everyone was feeling much better and ready to dig into some difficult topics. We spent our day at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum and our tour focused on the Abolitionist movement in Maryland. With clear minds and brave hearts our students absolutely "wowed" our guide, Phyllis, with their ability to confront the horrible realities of that time period and discuss difficult topics most people would choose to forget or gloss over. I could not have been more proud of them!!!! One of the focuses was the power of words and how the labels for various people (slave vs enslaved person, owner vs enslaver, fugitive vs freedom seeker) are used to create a system of power and control. I urge you to ask your student about the discussion; there's simply no way I could do it justice here.
During lunch we sampled the local culture and cuisine with a tasting of crab cakes, then it was off for a boat tour of the historic sites of the Miles river; a very leisurely cruise where we learned about the history of the area and the we all enjoyed refreshingly cold mocktails. Ahoy!
Today, weary but determined, running on 3 1/2 hours sleep, we awoke and made our way to the Horn Point Oyster Hatchery. It's a branch of the University of Maryland with the simple, inspiring goal of restoring the health of the Chesapeake Bay by repopulating the key species of the ecosystem; the oyster. What we saw was a diverse team of made up of biologists, algologists, engineers, and computer programers all working in harmony to accomplish the same noble goal. An inspiring example for the students to behold. Canoeing and a trip to the retreat center pool before dinner capped off the day, but a highlight, for me at least, was seeing a Cow Nosed Ray. One of the "charismatic megafauna" of the area and a good sign that the team's recovery efforts are working.
"Going up the huge mound of oyster shells was amazing!" Sawyer
"Super cool to see all the steps it takes to raise the oysters and the interconnectedness of the whole ecosystem." Miles
"Impressive how much effort people are going through to raise the oysters and rehabilitate the bay." William
Today by the numbers. 34 people, 3 airports, two flights, a 10 minute sprint through the Denver airport, a 1 1/2 hour delay, and one 60 minute bus ride. But despite all that we are here at Pecometh (our home for the next 5 days) safe, sound, and sleepy. No time to chat as we have a mere 4 hours before we need to wake to start our adventures. Tomorrow's destination: Horn Point Oyster Hatchery, home of the Shell Mountain! Stay tuned and good night!
Our last bit of preparation is complete, the pack check. If your student had something they needed to get into their bag please help them get those items packed so they are fully prepared for anything that comes our way out east. I have to say, however, excitement seemed high and there was a feeling of "let's go already!" in the air all day. A very good sign. Have a a great Saturday and we'll see everyone at the airport at 11AM on Sunday!! WooHooo!
It's hard to believe that our trip to East Lake (and what a fantastic trip it was!) was 9 months ago! And in that time this group has shared moments of struggle and moments of triumph. To the benefit of all. So as we near our departure we, the incredible leadership team of Ms. Royes, Ms. Fridae, and Mr O'Brien, have been going over final preparations with the kids in terms of behavior, setting goals, and being emotionally and logistically ready for what we're about to do. As usual, this group has responded with enthusiasm and excitement! I can't wait to see them in action on the east coast!
And as we near Sunday, June 1st be sure you're watching email for any last minute updates or reminders. You've no doubt received some already but feel free to reach out if you still have any questions. With that I bid you, farewell for now. See you at the airport in a couple weeks!