Reflections

What went well?

                Plenty of things: living in the Residential College, meeting all of the teachers, traveling, having thoughtful discussions with the other interns, eating out with Ben, and exploring Oxford. Of particular note was the summer long interaction with Ben and the other interns. Our constant efforts to understand and articulate the concepts and influences which define education, race, and poverty fostered a level of thinking and critical reflection that only improved as the summer progressed.

What didn’t?

                Working in the office all day wasn’t always thrilling but as Ben has mentioned, that is the tuition we pay for everything else. In which case, I think we got the better end of the bargain.

What was the highlight?

I don’t know that there is one particular moment or event which stands out as a highlight because there were so many worthy of that distinction so I will say the speaker series as a whole. We met and learned from some incredible people this summer. Having the pleasure of hearing their stories and benefiting from their many talents and wisdom was truly special, something I’m sure we will never forget.

What did you learn?

               I don't know where to start. I learned about teaching: what needs to be done to improve our education system, how to recognize good teaching, why education is important, and why our education system is failing. I learned about race and poverty, how those two are fundamentally linked and their impact on education. I also learned a great deal about the South in general, Mississippi in particular. The South's history is as relevant as ever and provides the necessary context for today's reality. Last but not least, I learned about myself and what is important to me. 

How will this internship inform what you do?

                Most of all this internship will push me to think critically about what I see and hear. Also, after everything we did this summer, I have come to recognize that the problems which plague Mississippi, and the rest of the country, run so deep that even though one person cannot fix them, we cannot fix them without one person. By that I mean that inaction actively harms.

Who do you want to thank?

                There are a lot of people I would like to thank. Mrs. Hopkins for her never-ending kindness (her coffee made many a day easier), the teachers for answering all of my questions, Amherst for funding this internship, my Mom for letting me steal her car for the summer, MTC for allowing me to have this adventure, and everyone I sought advice from about my upcoming thesis. I would also like to thank our many speakers. There are too many to mention by name, but their generosity made this summer special and I will remember fondly our conversations. Most of all, I would like to thank the interns and Ben Guest. The interns for making this summer thoroughly enjoyable and teaching me so much. I would like to thank Ben most of all for giving me this opportunity, challenging my perceptions, showing me a part of this country too often ignored, and demonstrating that there is always more to learn.

Advice for Future Interns

1. Embrace new experiences.
2. Ask questions, engage the people you meet.
3. Think about the answers you receive.
4. But remember that sometimes you can learn more just by listening.
5. Ask for the twenty-meal plan at the Residential College.
6. Ask Ben if fairness is important.
7. Don't order BBQ from Pizza Hut, or anywhere in Oxford.
8. Get to know Mrs. Hopkins.
9. Explore the Delta and its culture.
10. Think critically about the differences between your home/educational experiences and what you see in Mississippi.
11. Listen to the blues; don't sing them.

The Brown Report

        

For this week’s blog entry I will write about a document the interns have been reading the past couple of weeks. Known to us as “The Brown Report,” this document tackles head on the lingering effects of slavery and injustice in our country’s history. It is an incredible document, something I highly recommend reading, and demonstrates the depth of introspection we should all strive for.

                In 2003, Ruth Simmons, President of Brown University, appointed a Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice consisting of faculty members, members of the administration and both undergraduate and graduate students. The purpose: investigate and evaluate the University’s historical ties to slavery and the transatlantic slave trade. Additionally, the Committee was expected to propose a plan for recognizing and confronting those ties in order to establish some form of commemoration and foster future reconciliation. Three years later, after much deliberation and campus-wide involvement, the Committee presented its report to President Simmons in October 2006. Four months later, on February 24, 2007, the Brown Corporation released a set of initiatives in response to that report.  

Link to the Steering Committee’s website:

http://brown.edu/Research/Slavery_Justice/#

Link to the report:

http://brown.edu/Research/Slavery_Justice/documents/SlaveryAndJustice.pdf

Link to Brown University’s response and proposed initiatives: http://brown.edu/Research/Slavery_Justice/about/response.html

                Before delving into Brown’s intimate relationship with the institution of slavery and the legacy of such a past, I feel the need to introduce the importance of such an endeavor. President Simmons’ decision to commission the Committee is courageous, intellectually responsible, and overdue. A failure to honestly consider a history, whether personal or collective, perpetuates the past failures and prevents any possible reconciliation. It is only through the discovery and recognition of the truth that progress, and healing, can occur. To those who say these events and their participants are dead and buried, I say that their influence continues to define our lives and our country. Through academic responsibility we all stand to benefit and only through that will we move forward, together. The lives of anyone currently living in the United States are influenced by the past exploitation and annihilation of Africans, Native Americans, and many others. Those of us here today may not have been directly complicit, but we are associates of such injustice nonetheless. Brown University, given its past, is particularly in need of introspection.

                 Brown’s connection to and profit from slavery began immediately. Founded by Roger Williams as a haven for religious tolerance, Rhode Island was the leading American colony involved in the transatlantic slave trade by the time the College of Rhode Island (later Brown University) was founded in 1764. That same year, the slave ship Sally, commanded by Admiral Esek Hopkins, set sail from Rhode Island for West Africa. The Sally happened to be owned by Nicholas Brown and Company, leading benefactors of the college who would provide the monetary muscle in 1804 to enable the college’s relocation from Warren, Rhode Island to Providence, Rhode Island, thus becoming the school’s namesake. However, they were not the only ones who turned a profit chartering slave ships or employing slave labor. The Committee identified approximately thirty individuals who served as part of the Brown Corporation who had been directly involved in the operation of slave ships. Additionally, slaves were used to construct university buildings and many of the early benefactors made their fortunes selling rum or textiles, the markets for which depended entirely upon the institution of slavery. Therefore, Brown appears to have benefitted from slavery as much as any institution at that time, a remarkable truth considering that the University’s official history had not previously mentioned such associations. This finding left the Committee with a difficult question: what now?   

                Within the Report, the Committee produced a set of recommendations for acknowledging the past, telling the truth, and making amends. Among those recommendations and reparations included the public release of the Report, continued arenas for discussion on campus, a physical memorial, a revised history of the University, funding for scholarship related to slavery and justice, consideration of the ethical merit of donations, and expanded educational opportunities for disadvantaged individuals. These recommendations are certainly well-intentioned but I feel they are woefully insufficient. First, as was discussed by the interns, hiding behind a need-blind/need-based admissions process to avoid any significant changes in affording opportunities to disadvantaged students indicates an unwillingness to fully commit to the Report’s purpose.

Second, I disagree entirely with the scope of the Report. In her April 30, 2003 letter to the Committee members, President Simmons challenges them to engage the history of slavery in an effort to improve the nation, not just the University. That goal seems to become conveniently forgotten throughout the Report. This is undoubtedly a tremendous document but its true firepower has yet to be seen. The Report should have extended beyond slavery or been followed by a second document confronting historical injustices in their entirety. Making amends for slavery is honorable and long overdue, but not enough and by that I mean others deserve an apology too. The Report itself acknowledges that two demographics consistently do not receive the reparations or reconciliation that they deserve: African Americans and Native Americans, and once again, Native Americans are shown the door. Their suffering and annihilation was also critical in the founding and growth of Brown. It was their exploitation and suffering too that enabled the Brown Corporation to place their school upon that hill. Is the suffering of the Wampanoag and Narragansett tribes somehow less legitimate? Have their descendants not felt the effects of cultural decimation and political ostracization? I find this omission hypocritical, for the Committee’s endeavor was motivated by the withholding of reparations and lack of honest historical thought, both of which they appear guilty.

My third and final criticism, in a similar vein, is the Report’s lack of critical evaluation of past and current efforts to recognize and reconcile crimes against humanity. In discussing other, possibly similar, attempts to memorialize and long history of global injustice, the Report withholds judgment too often. Granted, my aspirations for this document in danger of becoming too all-encompassing and unreasonably burdensome, but if not here then where? For example, the Report mentions the Armenian Holocaust. I wish they had also mentioned that, because it would have been politically inconvenient due to our ties with Turkey, the United States refused to publicly acknowledge its occurrence for eighty years. That is a long time to ignore the murder of half a million people. However, it is for this reason that I appreciate the decision to create a “center for continuing research on slavery and justice.” For that center will likely do exactly what I wish this document had done: hold us all accountable.

In the end, the Committee and Brown University deserve a great deal of credit for having the courage to be so self-critical and transparent. They were the first but maybe this document will also ensure that they are not the last. Amherst College, for instance, could follow their lead. After all, Lord Jeffrey Amherst was one of the eighteenth century’s premier biological terrorists. There is no doubt that President Simmons accomplished many of her goals and despite any possible shortcomings, the University, and the country, are clearly better off thanks to her admirable convictions.  

Weekly Update

Since my last post we have visited Rowan Oak, visited a KIPP school in Helena, Arkansas, and met with both Otis Pickett and Reggie Barnes. Rowan Oak was particularly fascinating because so much of the property has remained as it was when William Faulkner lived (or should I say drank) there. The famous wall which allowed him to observe visitors before they saw him was still intact, his notes were still on the wall of his office, and his daughter’s radio was still by her bed. Even today, with development nearby, it was clear how important privacy was to him but what I found even more interesting was the impact his career had on his family. Our tour guide told a telling story in which Faulkner and his daughter quarreled over her radio, which was not allowed in the house. As the story goes, Faulkner informed her that “no one remembers Shakespeare’s daughter.” Both funny and absurd, this line is fitting but also makes me curious to learn more about his relationship with his family. I am sure it would reveal parts of him unseen in his writing.

           The KIPP school in Helena was uplifting. They seemed to be doing everything right. The teachers were genuinely interested and engaged with students, the school had well understood aspirations and regulations, and the students seemed challenged yet happy. During their lunch period I sat down with two fifth grade boys and asked them about their experiences at KIPP. Neither had a bad thing to say about the school, which was nice to hear, but even more telling was their intellectual curiosity. They knew the opportunity they had been given and clearly appreciated it.

            On Friday afternoon we traveled to De Soto, MS, to visit with Reggie Barnes. A former superintendent of West Tallahatchie County and native of Greenville, MS, Mr. Barnes has experienced every sphere of education in Mississippi. Upon graduating from Delta State he began his career as their “Dean of Mean,” while also becoming an award winning coach. I will start by saying that Mr. Barnes has a man-cave to which all other man-caves should aspire. That being said, he can also make a killer dinner. We enjoyed shrimp, fried trout from the Gulf, fried corn (something I had never had before), potato salad and fresh watermelon for dessert. However, the real treat came after dinner. Mr. Barnes spoke to us about his experiences, both integrating the high school in Greenville and after, rising professionally where few, if any, black men had ever been in Mississippi before. His recollections of growing up were captivating; he was brutally honest with us about his frustration and struggles to stay out of trouble in an atmosphere of increasing hostility. Equally as fascinating were his stories of interacting with high school classmates years later. Inherent in their encounters seemed to be a sense of shame, another legacy of the civil rights movement, which has yet to be absolved. Every time I hear someone speak about their experiences in the South during the fifties or sixties, I am amazed by how intimately those days have defined our world today. The collective psyche of each group has been constructed from those experiences, dictating their outlook today. To fail to understand that past, that psyche, will continue to undermine our collective present.

            Mr. Barnes also showed us a letter from 1856. It was a living will, which served as a de facto slave contract should the owner die. Reading this letter was exciting, a relic from the past, but also fundamentally strange. The language was colloquial and intelligent, yet the material was repugnant. The author’s obsession with passing his slave to the ownership of his daughter, and not that of his son-in-law, highlights the incredible distortion of perspective. We left Mr. Barnes' home warmed by his hospitality and inspired by his accomplishments. Our visit with him was uniquely satisfying and motivating. 

Day in the Life of Photo Journal

Hey Bri, let's go to work. (8:42 am)

Hey Bri, wait for me! (8:43 am)

Leaving the dorm (08:46 am)

Arriving at Guyton (9:00 bgst)

 Our office

 My desk

 Hey Bri, hurry up, I want to go to lunch!

Kicking in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium after work

Sunset from the top row of the stadium

Fairness

          Why is fairness important? That is the question I have been posed with this week. All summer the interns (with the oversight of Ben Guest) have had a running dialogue about the importance of fairness. Our definitions of fairness have varied, and yet we all seem to have reached similar conclusions: that fairness is indeed important. However, as we quickly realized, explanations for the relevance of fairness must have a certifiable origin, founded upon more than vague principles of good behavior. The importance of fairness, to be widely implemented, would have to cross the many barriers defining individual’s concepts of morality and justice, lest this discussion devolve into a pedantic succession of disagreements. We do not all abide by the same religion, believe in the same fundamental ethical code, or endorse similar governmental ideologies. Therefore, my argument must appeal to the basic interests of all, finding a common ground benefitting all.

            Personally, I think that fairness is deserved and predicated upon the fact that all humans are endowed with the same human rights regardless of race, sex, sexual orientation, faith, etc. This overarching concept of human rights has officially, if not I practice, been accepted by our government. However, just as these innate rights should be blind to age, race, sex, et al., so too should it be entirely independent of government. A citizen, a worldwide citizen, should have access to the same basic elements of fairness and justice. To fail to protect such would endanger all, as the exploitation of any is indicative of the possibility for the exploitation of all others. Simply put, to protect oneself from unfair or unethical treatment it is also necessary to grant the same protection to all others. To fail to do so is the assurance that mistreatment will someday violate your rights. The tides will turn.  

            That being said, my second and universal reason for the importance of fairness appeals to the selfish interest of our species as a whole: maximizing our potential for protecting and replicating ourselves. By promoting fairness, we inherently are promoting the progress of human kind. In theory, the cream would rise to the top. All things being equal, those most capable of contributing to society would be guaranteed an outlet. Rather than favoring those in power, with money, or from the right country, this scenario would select for those most “fit.” While, at the same time, collectively we would progress much more due to the contributions of all. Consider today’s global economy and the United States’ struggle to right the boat after the economic downfall. Would the United States not stand on firmer ground if all her citizens had equal and complete educations? Would the United States’ foreign policy not be better received if our domestic policies matched our constitutional proclamations? My argument is that if all are allowed to participate in society, without limitations, we all will benefit. Just as students learn from each other in the classroom, so too would citizens learn from each other. In addition, this would bread a far more productive concept of competition. We obsess over the need for a “level playing field” in professional and amateur athletics under the guise that all participants deserve the same chance for success, yet no Congressional hearings are being broadcast (CSPAN doesn’t count, it is mostly unwatchable) about the alarming collection of this country’s wealth in the hands of a few. The point being, if we want parity, and we want the best to win the day, fairness must exist and it is in our collective personal interest for the best to win the day, in both the short and the long term.

Greenwood, Mississippi

          Last Saturday, Ben Guest took the MTC interns and Andre Wang (our fellow intern at the Mississippi Innocence Project) on an Emmett Till inspired tour of the Delta. Our first stop was in Sumner, Mississippi, to see the court house where Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam were acquitted. Sumner was not unlike most failing Delta towns, businesses were boarded up and buildings had been left to crumble. But right in the middle of the town square, buttressed by a Confederate statue, was the infamous court house where one of the twentieth century’s greatest miscarriages of justice took place. However, another important act ought to be remembered: Mose Wright’s improbably courageous decision to publicly accuse a white man of murder in court, something that many say a black man had never done before in Mississippi.

Courthouse in Sumner, MS

            In addition to the courthouse we also traveled to Money, Mississippi, where we saw Bryant’s Grocery and Meat Market, the location of Mose Wright’s home, and the location of his church and graveyard where Emmett was originally to be buried. The store was a mere shell of its former self, yet still haunting. A little over fifty years ago a black boy had wolf whistled at a white woman right where I was standing. His punishment: kidnapping, torture, and murder. Things I never would have had to fear had I done the same exact thing. From there, we drove down Dark Fear Road, passing the former location of the Wrights' home and stopping at the remains of Mose Wright’s Church of God in Christ. It was there that Mose Wright spent the night after testifying against Emmett’s murderers, narrowly missing what might have been his own untimely end. The church was modest, a single room with a small graveyard adjacent. Mose Wright was clearly not a wealthy preacher, but I surmise his unshakeable faith ran deeper than such frivolous determinations of a man’s character.





Mose Wright's Church

Bryant's Grocery and Meat Market

            We also visited the Shurden Plantation, where Emmett was taken by his captors to be tortured and killed. Surprisingly, the barn was still standing and clearly in use not far from the home of the obviously wealthy plantation owners. I guess I had assumed that due to either public pressure or common sense, something of that nature (on private property) might have been torn down to prevent people from doing exactly what we were doing: trespassing and regretting our country’s history of inequality and injustice. Apparently, the owners do not feel the same way. After this, we traveled to the location where Emmett’s body was found in the Tallahatchie River, bound to a cotton gin fan by barbed wire. Again, much like the Bryant’s store, this spot could have passed for any other river bank. But, knowing that Emmett, and surely others, were deposited (that word doesn’t even do justice to what happened) in that river made its current serenely ominous.

Tallahatchie River, location where Till's body was found

            After seeing the famous locations related to the Emmett Till murder, we visited the home of Alzea Brewer. Mrs. Brewer, a Mississippi native, is among the many locals who have spent their entire lives fighting for equality and deserves tremendous credit for their efforts; so too does her husband who fought to register black voters and was among the first to attempt to register to vote since the days of Reconstruction. Speaking with Mrs. Brewer and her eldest daughter Mary, I was reminded of the constant relevance of our past. They candidly spoke about fear, mistrust, and unfinished progress. Yet, their poise and thoughtfulness were indicative of the strength with which they have and continue to carry themselves, refusing to let the indiscretions of others undermine their own integrity.

            After our visit with Mrs. Brewer we made a brief blues excursion to see one of Robert Johnson's gravestones in Greenwood, Mississippi. We then concluded our trip with a stop at the Crystal Grille in Greenwood for some delicious Delta fare before riding back to Oxford. However, I should note, that I have never seen greater wealth disparity within such a small area than in Greenwood. Driving through town, we saw wealthy mansions only to keep driving and see horribly inhospitable homes not even half a mile away. Granted, this is not singular to Greenwood, but the contrast was particularly startling and indicated the willingness of some to look past the misfortune of others.