Today we learned the great power of communication, teamwork and reflection. Last night we were able to go out to Bourbon street and walk around the french quarter which is an experience that everyone should have. We are truly a group that functions as a family with all the pros and cons attributed to such a characteristic. In the end all was well and we made it home safe. I’m saving the dirty little secrets of the night fpr myself wahahahaha. As for today, the morning was quite cold but decent considering we are from the northeast where it has already snowed. We went to work to discover a car accident near our house. This was both startling and powerful. Seeing the americorp volunteers that we work with running to aid those in need really showed the power of the human spirit and just common decency. The day progressed as usual the DREAM TEAM was amazing, had lunch but this time the location changed. The local church does free meals on Wednesdays from 12-2 and some of the locals invited us to go with them. The meal consisted of white rice, beans, hamhock, salad and bread. It was really cool to do this. We then headed home and got to talk to a powerful speaker. He addressed many of the issues that we as a campus community generally do not talk about. The ideas of racism and sexism were discussed in a way that made us all really analyze the issues. Although I now feel more uneasy about attending Tulane fro graduate school I know know my opposition. The idea of not being at ease in my own neighborhood and wondering when and where I an going to be stopped by the police due to my skin color has me weary of such a vibrant location for higher education. The idea of power and the rest of the themes I hope to address in my blogs come from the new CD by Kanye West. His song “Power” which addresses responsibility and power in the pop culture can be directly applied to the Police of NOLA. They have been granted this pass to do whatever they please. The question now is how will they handle such a gift or curse. As of now they have not handled it well which leaves me feeling as if the pressures that come along with being a Black Male will never end. I have fought so many battles and I’m still here but how much longer can I fight. When will enough be enough and I will no longer have to think about what area I am walking in, who I fall in love with etc. Once again my class has amazed me in this Dark Fantasy known as New Orleans.
Talk about a powerful day.