Unfortunately, traveling with this very diverse group of concerned citizens we managed to encounter our fair share of racism and hatred in the very same community we came to help. You could cut the tension with a dull butter knife at the backwoods gas station we stopped at to get directions. The stares, oh the stares, and the comments made me very ashamed of who I am and where I came from. Even though it’s a different region of the country it’s still the same small-town, often small-minded mentality. The same fear and hatred that has dwelled in our nation for hundreds of years.
Generation after generation it has been carried to hate or dislike others who are different. These people (note: I hate to pigeon hole small-town folk as well) are afraid of change or don’t know how to adjust their mindset, and this way of thinking just continues to perpetuate — perhaps because they do not know any different. It permeated until that is, the people of the community realized what these rag-tag group of kids were doing — working to improve the community that treated them in such fashion. As the long weekend progressed, we met a few of the locals and I think, learned from each other.
The book, Three Cups of Tea, makes the argument that providing the means to develop/improve schools and infrastructures through the Middle East we could help eliminate terrorism in a peaceful manner and build relationships. In a way, I believe the very same concept could be adopted within the impoverished communities in our country — both in rural and inner-city. I believe it would give everyone a better opportunity for others from different areas of our own country and help bridge the gap of differences we sometimes get caught up in.
This is what No Child Left Behind has failed miserably to do. Instead of penalizing and closing schools we need to put more money, time and effort into our public school systems, and it needs to happen at the local, state and federal level. Now, please don’t get me wrong. I know we already invest a lot of money into education at the Federal level, but I believe we need to also take a look at how the money is spent and where.
Education needs to be one of our top economic exports as a country, and for some reason we are falling more and more behind other developed nations in the world. Schools are closing in rural and inner city areas because they don’t receive as much funding as suburban areas. In many states, education is funded by property tax, and as the housing market fails and loans default, schools will continue to receive less and less funding and be expected to do more and more with less.
If this trend continues, schools will eventually be consolidated in order to save money, and our children’s education will continue to suffer by having a larger and larger student-to-teacher ratio. Not only will the housing market affect school funding, but I believe we will also see areas such as Cranks have an increase in the need to house, cloth and feed even more of those in need. This never ending cycle needs to some how stop.
So, where does that leave us as a society? Time will only tell how we will progress. I think it speaks volumes that the presidential candidates of this election cycle have been of different genders and race — it illustrates that at least most of the country has accepted and come to terms with hatred of differences, but we still, unfortunately, have a very long way to go.
But back to my trip…when we arrived at our lodging, the Cranks Creek Survival Center, we were a bit taken back. We had to adjust our ways of thinking. No access to Internet or cell service — we were out of our normal reality for a weekend. We holed up in dirty bunk beds complete with an invasion or two from hornets and had to use microwave that I used as a child 20 years ago. But what we were disgusted and put off by — these people call home. And through the weekend we adjusted and overcame our issues as we realized how genuinely lucky we are to have homes to come back to. In an ironic twist of fate the gentleman who oversees the Survival Center, Bobby, is legally blind — so he had no preconceptions about us, his “children” as he often referred. The great thing about it was we were among 1,200 people that come to his camp every year to help the community of Cranks and he can never have any preconceived notion of the color of skin we have — he just gladly accepts the help.
The best thing about the weekend for me was connecting to these kids and connecting to them the best way I know how — through music. It was a great pleasure to speak and relate to them through music. They exposed me to the new pop, country, gospel, and hip-hop music of today. In turn, I exposed them to the Bonnaroo type music that I am used to. I played them some of my favorites — Umphrey’s McGee, Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, Girl Talk, Lettuce, and their favorite of the weekend — Chromeo. It was a call-and-response type of weekend between us and our musical differences. I particularly enjoyed being exposed to Kirk Franklin’s “Brighter Day” because it summed up the weekend and hopefully, our future:
“Life has brand new meaning;
It’s gonna be a brighter day, [a] brighter day.”
Good job kids — thanks for making my Ya’ll-ternative Fall Break something worth while.
4 Responses
Good for you and your group. I did this type of volunteer work many years ago, with a national group called Appalachian Service Project, and it does not seem like anything has changed. The conditions and environment can be challenging, but it is well worth it. No hot water, and some people still using out-houses that dump directtly into the river – like a portalet at a festival.
Great post.