Our first stop today, after seven hours on the bus, was the International Civil Rights Center and Museum, in Greensboro, North Carolina. The tour of the museum began with a projected picture of the American flag, accompanied by the words, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness." As a group, we discussed that this statement does not actually reflect the reality for all Americans, as the Declaration of Independence was written by white Christian men, for white Christian men. Soon after we read those words, the flag faded away and pictures of signs that said "whites only" and "no colored allowed" started to appear. Our tour guide helped us reflect on the feeling of inferiority that was (and is) ingrained in black people, and all people of color, at a very young age. The thing from the tour guide’s talk that stuck with me the most was that the first words many kids learned were "whites only." It made me realize how early racism began for some people.
We turned around, and facing us was a KKK robe and mask. Being that close to a real KKK robe made me feel very uneasy because the organization and the ideals it represents are marked by hatred and anger. Walking closer to it, we noticed that there were blood stains still visible. Seeing the blood and imagining what caused the stain really upset me and moved me almost to tears.
Today, one interesting thing I noticed was the way in which different people reacted to their own discomfort. There was quite a range. One person made unease known by simply saying “this makes me very upset and uncomfortable.” Another person chuckled or made light of the situation. Still another person cried. All of these people were processing discomfort in different ways, reminding me that there is no ‘right’ way to express such feelings.
Jack Kalvar, The Park School of Baltimore
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