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2019neworleansteentour · 5 years ago

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Day Three, The Return...

Perspectives from First Experience, June 28-30th…

On the last day and trip home, the group stopped at a few important historical sites for African Americans. These sites are landmarks in both the south and history because they serve as reminders of both where we came from and how far we’ve come. Along with a short visit to Tuskegee university, which represents what we as a people are capable of achieving on our own despite the situations we are facing against. -Daryl C.

Today finalized the WeCCAAN 2019 New Orleans Tour on Culture and Service Learning. This was an awesome experience for me not only because I got to give back to others without receiving anything for my service, BUT because I was humbled in so many different ways. This wasn’t just a service learning trip but also a vacation for me since I’ve never been to New Orleans. I learned so much about my African American culture in just a short period of time, like how the Congo Square was where we got to show off all of our talents in the music world. Going to the different colleges seeing all the African Americans who have, and some who are currently making improvements on the school. It made me realize how once we were at the bottom of the food chain, but slowly African Americans are headed to the top. Then, the talk with Mr. Green really touched my heart, hearing the story how he lost his mother and granddaughter. How he tried every option there was to save himself and his family, but he just couldn’t. How even though he was going thru his own trials he was still there being a helping hand to others around him. Driving down the streets of New Orleans seeing all the vacant lots where there were once homes, but Katrina had destroyed them, and families still 14 years later still haven’t rebuilt their homes. Walking down the streets seeing all the homeless people seeing them sleep on cardboard boxes, their shoes, or just the hard concrete. This just really humbled me and made me be even more appreciative of every single thing that I have. Also, this trip allowed me to meet new people, try new delicious foods, and see another culture. I am so grateful to be able to be apart of this trip, because if not I wouldn’t have been able to have these experiences. -Kylah F.

The trip to New Orleans was amazing with all these new people I got to learn a lot about them. After hearing all the amazing stories about hurricane Katrina and how it affected people’s lives they still kept fighting to make things right again. I also found out about Tuskegee university, which was established by Booker T. Washington, I knew nothing about the school but today that changed I learned that it wasn’t an experiment it was a study and it’s a historical black university and each building that was built on the campus was named after someone that helped build it. They also had a museum on their campus but we couldn’t go in it because it was closed. We also seen Troy university and across the street was where Rosa Parks got arrested for the bus situation in Alabama. My name is Elijah and this is my first trip outside of my normal time zone and to Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi and I would love to go on another one because it was the best trip I ever took. -Elijah H. W.

This trip to New Orleans was an overall great experience for me and fulfilled all my expectations and then some. While I went into it expecting to gain more knowledge, it was way more than that. It brought culture of places I had never been and information that has opened new doors. Hearing the stories of loss ones to those tragic events of Katrina was very heartbreaking and was felt enormously. Helping out by doing whatever I can always warms me, and being able to help that lady with her garden was a wonderful task. She was very appreciative and welcomed us from the second we arrived. Not only was New Orleans great itself but the people gone with made the experience ten times better. This trip has not only made me want to keep coming on these tours, but to also visit New Orleans in the near future. All that has happened will be remembered, and I am great full to have had the opportunity. -Bobby H.

Today was bittersweet as we not only said goodbye to the Big Easy but also said goodbye to everyone on the tour. It's something incredible about the bond forged in the tireless pursuit of service to others. So many great connections made this weekend. The good thing is that we will continue to support each other and our communities from what we learned while on the WECCAAN Tour. I'm already looking forward to next year for another impactful tour. A huge amount of gratitude to all the teens who gave of their summer to help and learn from others, all the incredible chaperones who made it their mission to support this endeavor and especially Dr Mike Weaver, who makes these tours possible every year. -Giovan B.

This weekend exceeded my expectations. I came here to learn about new things and to be grateful for the life I live now and I am. This weekend taught me to be proud, but not satisfied. I was given the opportunity to talk with some amazing people who showed me that I can make the future brighter and better with my willpower and determination. This weekend made me feel honored to be in so many historical places where amazing people have walked the Earth. I am extremely glad that I was given this opportunity and that I was surrounded by a great group of people. -Ayshia B.

This Whole Trip Taught Me About Life And Things I Want To Do As In Career Although I Want To Be A Nurse I Seen A Few Nursin Colleges . This Will Change On How I Act With People And Interfere With Things . Today I Visited Montgomery And Tuskegee Alabama And Learned So Much About The Tuskegee Airmen And About Tuskegee University. I Liked This Trip Had Fun And I Wish To Have Many More With You All. -Shakemia J.

2012 was the first time I came to New Orleans with my oldest son Javon. Now to come with my youngest son... is a gift I can never repay. Reflecting on both experiences, the similarities and differences, one thing is constant. The fact that these trips offer an incomparable experience. Each year has a new journey and new lesson. Reconnecting with friends that have become family makes this trip even more amazing. I have been telling Dr Mike for years that I need to keep coming. First I came with Javon from 2012-2017, Jordan from 2017-2018 and now with Jamil. These trips teach them valuable lessons of giving back, meeting new people and learning how to travel. I am forever grateful. -TeShania B.

I really enjoyed this trip, it opened my mind to new perspectives and deepened my insights into older ones. On the trip I was able to get firsthand experience with New Orleans and get a feel and sense of what some of the residents’ lives are like. I enjoyed the community service projects and getting to know the people that I care with and I intend on coming to another one later. -Daryl C.

The Last Day is usually the saddest. While on our journey to home we were able to visit one of my favorite HBCUs, Tuskegee University. While at Tuskegee i was able to learn about why Booker T Washington founded Tuskegee and the Tuskegee Study that happened at the University. I was amazed to learn that while doing to the Tuskegee Study that the men who were at art of it were promised something, received it. Before we went to Tuskegee we took a stop at the Rosa Park Library. Although we weren’t able to go in I do feel like i learned a lot that’ll impact my future in a positive way when reading the land markers. Overall, I was greatly satisfied with this whole experience and truly thank Dr. Weaver for all that he does to keep these service trips alive and going. -Roderick T.

I felt inspired when I saw the Tuskegee university and the statue of George Washington Carver. I like to learn about Martin Luther King jr and see statues. I feel super inspired. -Jamil B.

As we travel back to Atlanta, from a very educational weekend and stay in New Orleans, I can say my ride was very inspiring. From the historical facts behind Hurricane Katrina and the impact it left amongst the communities, I humble myself in deep respect for those who experienced this devastation. Visiting Alabama gave value to my culture being. Knowing that people very similar to me, were the start of what is now a wonderful place of study for our future leaders also inspired me. It makes me wish that I had instead ventured off to prestigious institutions to expand my education. Overall, this weekend has given me lots of perspectives relating to history and education - a very great push to continue pushing myself as well as my children and the children of our communities. -Tia J.

Today’s activities have been a reminder of things that I learned about during childhood, but don’t think about often, such as Rosa Parks’s role in black history, and the impact of George Washington Carver and Booker T. Washington, the importance of Tuskegee university and Tuskegee Airmen. Seeing it through the teenagers’ view reinforced to me that we, as parents and as a race, have to keep our history alive and relevant for the future generations. As I reflect on this weekend, the learning, the friendships made, and the activities, I am a little sad to see it come to a close. This weekend exceeded my expectations. I feel a sense of pride as I look at the pictures of Mrs. Gloria’s garden and the Magellan gardens. I feel a sense of peace to know that Katrina survivors are continuing to rebuild their lives despite governmental barriers. I feel more pride seeing Tuskegee, and remembering what it stood for when it started and for this present time. I am excited to become a part of the volunteer activities over the next year that will lead to the next see and serve opportunity. -Miriam C.

Perspectives from Second Experience, July 26-28th…

Today I appreciated our experience in Tuskegee. Not only did we get to see the campus of an HBCU that I wasn’t aware Booker T. Washington was responsible for building, but I was also not aware those bricks that have been standing for so many years were locally manufactured, which represents the power in Tuskegee at the time. That same power laid in Moton Field where we were able to see where the Tuskegee airmen were trained. I was also grateful for the clarification we received from Dr. Mike for the difference between the Tuskegee experiment and the Tuskegee study, which I hear get confused even in my adulthood. What today and this weekend in it’s entirety did for me is serve as inspiration. It reinvigorated me in my want to learn my own cultural history, to participate in service on a regular basis that affects my community and our youth, and to stand in my own power as my ancestors so valiantly have and do whatever work I am led to do to the best of my ability and knowing that I will accomplish leaps and bounds with that will, as well as with the support of my community as they’ve supported us this weekend to experience what we’ve been blessed to experience. I was disappointed I wasn’t able to attend the past few years of service trips with Dr. Mike and the group but in the following years I will absolutely be making it a point to go out of my way and be apart. This work is more than important and I want to remain involved. Thank you to Dr. Mike, Mark and all our benefactors for making this happen for us and our youth, I couldn’t be more grateful! -Caris A.

This weekend was the greatest I've had in a long time. I met new people and got to visit a new city. Seeing New Orleans was like a dream come true and being able to see the French Quarter and lower ninth was really cool. I spent way too much money but the food was good so it wasn't a total loss. Getting to try New Orleans food was exciting and I'm going to try to recreate some things at home. I've never done anything like this trip before and it's given me a new kind of clarity for my future. I want to be able to take trips like this all the time whenever I want with whoever I want which means that I'll have to work for that so I can. I'm crazy tired now at the end but I feel great. -Essence H.

This weekend in New Orleans was fun. I got to see how the people are in the day and in the night also how they celebrate everything you could possibly think of. One thing about the New Orleans people is that they have pride of their parish and have pride in themselves. They truly love where they are and wouldn’t leave for anything and if they did leave they are most likely going to come back. During the time that I was there was a different atmosphere, other than the humidity there was a loving feel and nobody cared about what you did as long as you were happy. I learned a lot of stuff that I didn’t know and it’s good to learn. One thing that I noticed about New Orleans is that it’s a combination of a city and an industrial place. Wherever you go there is a bridge even in the city part and I’ve never seen anything like it. -Jordan B.

I had a great time this weekend. This weekend been a long learning journey and I learned from the culture and the background of New Orleans and hurricane Katrina. Then the tours of the colleges and museums was also a good learning experience. And bonding with the new and old students on this weekend. -Iterrius J.

In these 72 hours, I learned a lot and experienced more than I can imagine. New Orleans showed strength, culture, and unity which I think touched us all. I’m so glad Dr. Weaver decided to do another tour to NOLA this year. I’m honored to once again volunteer and give my efforts to Magellan Gardens.

I realize how important it is for myself & others to travel the world learn our history ourselves. And to have an open mind through it all. I plan to return to New Orleans to explore more hidden gems the city has to offer. I’m humbled by this opportunity and can’t wait to share my experience with family, friends, and colleagues. -Shauna J.

This weekend was something special. I got to connect with people that I would not have met under normal circumstances and I got to see things that I would not see on a normal trip to any of the cities we visited this weekend.

New Orleans was a great experience. To see a city that was totally destroyed as evidenced by a Six Flags that still hasn’t been rebuilt and how far it has come. A city that had so much loss as evidenced by Mr. Green who lost his mother and granddaughter still have so much pride. I feel hard pressed to think of any other city that I have been to like that. New Orleans is somewhere that I definitely want to return to. Maybe not Burboun street (too much for my blood) but most definitely I want to return to the garden where we volunteered to see what it produces during other times of the year.

Tuskegee was a humbling experience. I never went to an HBCU and to be honest I had no clue that it was built by a black man. I’ve heard of Booker T Washington but before today I couldn’t have told you what he did or who he was. Seeing the actual airfield of the Tuskegee airman was cool. After seeing the movie Red Tails it was nice to be able to see the actual field and make the movie feel a little more real.

I’ve been to Atlanta more times than I can count and have never been to Morehouse. It was today that made me realize that most HBCUs are not open campuses like the PWI that I attended. I knew there were differences in the schools but I’m not sure how that difference makes me feel. On one hand I feel like the school cares enough to protect their students and if we’re being honest it’s very rare that we hear of a shooting on a predominantly black campus. On the other hand it makes me wonder if it has more to do with the fences around the campus to keep people in.

All in all I enjoyed this trip and hope to be invited on another trip in the years to come. -Aleeka M.

This expedition to New Orleans was very eye opening. I honestly wish I had made this trip sooner. I loved the scenery in New Orleans, especially the natural spaces. The wetlands were beautiful despite all that has been stripped of their natural scenery, what is left is still a site to see. I really really loved seeing the dragonflies this weekend. I believe all living beings serve a purpose. All organisms have a spirit and if we look close enough at them and deep enough into ourselves we can feel that spirit within us. I recently found that dragonflies were one of my spirit animals. In New Orleans, I was able to be surrounded by dragonflies and their beautiful energy. Dragonflies represent change, transformation, adaptability, and self realization.

For quite a while, I was so afraid of change especially in my youth. As I grew older and wiser, I discovered that change is inevitable. The best thing i can do for myself is be accepting of life and all the changes that come with it. New Orleans is a great testimony to adapting to change and undergoing transformation. Amongst the dragonflies and the spirit of New Orleans i has many self realizations and even realizations about the world. One of those realizations being that just like the people of New Orleans I can get through anything. Even if I lose every material thing I have as long as I have breath in my body and will in my heart I can pick myself up and rebuild or earn it all back. Change will happen regardless of whether I want it to or not, and when I resist these changes I make life harder on myself. I always try to remind myself to let go of all that does not serve me. However, that’s so much easier said than done. This trip has really shown me that it is actually quite easy to do when you have no choice. Choice is also a hot topic for me, I feel as though we all have choices about everything. We all have free will, we create our down destinies. You can manifest anything you want but you can also manifest the things you fear it’s about what you focus on.

After Katrina, the people of New Orleans had a choice to flee and never look back or face their losses head on. Of course they wept, that’s a necessary stage of the grieving process. They experienced anger and denial and regret and everything else. However, when the rain and the tears dried up they got up and handled their business. Even long before Katrina, during slavery times the black people in Nola chose to focus on the positive and build as much as they could for themselves and their community. This trip has inspired me to do the same. Dr. Weaver helped to confirm what I already knew, which was my worth and existence as a divine being. I already know my purpose and my power, I speak on it quite often. However, Dr. Weaver also helped me to realize it goes far beyond knowing or talking the talk. I have to walk in my purpose I have to act as the goddess I claim to be. I can no longer settle for the bare minimum. I can no longer know my power and not exercise it. How dare I be mediocre when royalty and divinity are right here in my DNA flowing through my veins? How dare I let my ancestors blood, sweat, and tears be in vain as I live a meager existence? How dare I not live up to my potential? When it’s all said and done I don’t want to look back on my life and wished I had done more, seen more, lived more, and been greater. This trip has inspired me to see all that I can while I can, go everywhere I can while I can, talk to connect with everyone I can while I can, and just really enjoy life and live intentionally.

Another eye opening aspect of this trip were the college tours. I attended Howard University and I wasn’t very fond of my experience there. I never felt at peace there, quite frankly there was always too much commotion going on for me to even listen to my intuition. I went there without touring there or any other colleges other than those in the AUC. I knew I wanted the HBCU experience and to be surrounded by fellow black excellence. However, I didn’t put a whole bunch of consideration into how different the experience could be depending on what institution I attended. I chose Howard because it was known to be the #1 HBCU in the country and I went in studying Political Science which was one of their strongest areas. Unfortunately, upon my arrival I found that Howard wasn’t the place for me. I really wish I had toured other HBCUs before I blindly decided on Howard. I love nature and I do my best to stay connected to the Earth around me. Howard lacked the nature aspect I loved so much being in such a busy and bustling city like Washington, D.C. If I would’ve explored my options before I decided to go to Howard my life path would’ve turned out very differently. I don’t regret any of my decisions but I can acknowledge that there were other options that held great potential had I ever considered them. That was a lesson to me to never rush such big decisions or pick based on popular opinion. I really loved the Tuskegee campus, I felt at peace there. I would’ve loved to have a college experience in such a beautiful and calming place. Nonetheless, I am grateful to have seen Tuskegee when I did and of course it’s never too late to further my education at a more fitting university for me.

In conclusion, this voyage to New Orleans has taught me so much about myself, my history, my options for education, and the world around me. I am so thankful to have had this opportunity and I will continue to reflect on all that I learned in the days to come. All that I learned on this adventure will remain with me forever. I have gained so much more knowledge since this journey began on Thursday night and I feel quite powerful. I would like to end this by saying a big thank you to Dr. Weaver and all the donors who helped make this possible. What you all are doing for the youth (black youth specifically) is such a blessing whether we realize it at the moment or not. Not many people care enough about us to present such opportunities of great and affordable travel to us. Also, a lot of people don’t realize how important it is to instill service and humane acts into young people. Volunteer experience goes a long way not just on applications and resumes but in character building and helping us to be more loving and culture. So once again, thank you so much to Dr. Mike Weaver, Mark Gibson, Meeka, and everyone else who made this possible. -Jzada J.

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veen83 · 7 years ago

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new york is one of my favorite places to visit, and october’s trip was no exception. i am lucky enough to have family and friends scattered throughout the city, so i have an abundance of places to stay and an assortment of people to keep me company.

on each visit i pick two things i’ve never done or seen before and make it a point to check them out, but i outdid myself on this last visit. with lannon out of town, maggie out of the country, and the rest at work on the weekdays [and over the weekend, in the case of molly], i found lots of ways to entertain myself and saw lots of new and familiar places along the way.

below are some of the highlights from my most recent visit to one of my favorite cities.

bear-veena reunion! new york, new york. october 2017.

a [very brief] reunion with my bear! i don’t know how the stars aligned for this one, but ellie happened to be in from london for work for 48 hours at the same time i was. she was busy with her work, but we managed a late lunch and catch up session before i needed to get ready for hamilton and she had to catch her flight. it was so nice to see her, however briefly, and it did my heart good to see her in person and not just over skype.

this happened. new york, new york. october 2017.

hamilton. i have already written extensively about our experience seeing this show come to life, but i would be remiss if i didn’t also mention it here. it was incredible.

lower east side tenement museum. this museum first came to my attention when i read orphan train in 2014, and i have been wanting to visit ever since. i learned a lot about the families living in the lower east side, and it was an incredible experience to walk through a few of the apartments and imagine the lives of those who lived there not all that long ago. i highly recommend a visit, especially for all of my fellow history nerds.

catching up with an old friend. new york, new york. october 2017.

catching up with peyton. peyton was a classmate of my brother’s in helena, and she was the reason i found out about baylor and then ended up boarding there my last two years of high school. we hadn’t seen each other in years but have kept in touch over social media, and luckily our schedules overlapped while i was in town and we were able to spend an evening drinking and eating and catching up over the last two decades of each other’s lives. it is so nice to spend time with someone who has known you your entire life and who remembers random moments of your childhood.

love me some wooden roller coasters. brooklyn, new york. october 2017.

coney island. i have been wanting to visit coney island for some time, and i finally made it out there on this visit. luke and khadija joined me, and together we rode the cyclone, a 90-year-old wooden roller coaster that was so much fun and also a little terrifying. i seriously thought i might fly out when we went around one of the turns, but it was amazing and i would do it again if i could. it was fun to wander through the different parks and see all the families out enjoying one of the final weekends of the season.

south indian feasting. new york, new york. october 2017.

a return to saravanaa bhavan. as much as i like to try new places when i visit the city, one of my staples is saravanaa bhavan, a delicious south indian eatery on the upper west side. this year, molly and lili joined me for a late sunday lunch, and we stuffed ourselves silly before heading across the street to sample on some whiskey at caledonia. that masala dosa is the stuff dreams are made of.

breakfast. new york, new york. october 2017.

getting a tour of columbia. new york, new york. october 2017.

absolute bagels and a tour of columbia. madhav has been gushing about absolute bagels since i met him two years ago, so i knew i had to make it up there on this visit. as luck would have it, julie was free for breakfast on monday, and absolute is close to both her house and columbia’s campus. we picked up bagels and headed up to columbia, where julie showed me around for a bit before we settled down in the library to eat and catch up. it was great to hear about her life back in the states and to enjoy such a delicious breakfast, and i loved wandering columbia’s campus and pretending i was a student.

ethiopian deliciousness. new york, new york. october 2017.

ethiopian deliciousness at abyssinia. when tosca found out i was going to new york, she insisted i try ethiopian food in harlem. i had never been to harlem, so it seemed like a great monday lunch adventure. after i left columbia i made my way up to harlem and abysinnia at w 135th and frederick douglass boulevard. the food was amazing, and i had the place almost entirely to myself on a rainy monday afternoon.

learning about fashion at moma. new york, new york. october 2017.

moma. i had never been to the museum of modern art, so i figured a rainy monday was as good a day as ever to check it out. as it turns out, most everyone else had the same idea, especially as it was a long weekend and there were a lot of people in town. i had seen posters advertising their history of fashion exhibit, so when i arrived i headed straight up there and took my time wandering around. it was a very cool exhibit, and i enjoyed reading about how different styles have evolved from others. after, i wandered through one of the permanent galleries and was able to see van gogh’s starry night, which i did not even realize was at moma, so that was pretty cool. what was not cool, however, was the fifty or so people crowded around it with their cameras and selfie sticks. i love my photos, but some things are best remembered as memories, i think.

the strand. as a compulsive book-buyer, the strand bookstore and its touted “18 miles of books” has been on my list for years. i have previously visited their setup at central park east, but this was the first time i made it to their brick-and-mortar location near union square. it is multiple floors of floor-to-ceiling books and knickknacks for book lovers, and i spent far too much money on books, postcards, tote bags, magnets, and a whole host of other things. it is a mecca for book lovers, and the only thing that would have made it better is some comfy chairs to curl into with a book or two.

hitting up some neighborhood favorites. one of the great parts of staying at maggie and lannon’s place is that i know the neighborhood pretty well and could revisit some neighborhood favorites from last year. on my last night in town, molly and i had drinks at sugarburg and union pool before grabbing food at kings co imperial, and it was such fun to experience those places again. sugarburg is up there with fred’s for the title of my favorite new york bar, union pool is a sentimental favorite from a few years ago, and kings co is such good food.

fearless girl. new york, new york. october 2017.

fearless girl. i almost forgot about the fearless girl statue on wall st, remembering it only on my last evening in town. luckily i was heading down that way on my last morning, so i made sure to stop by and say hi to her in person. she’s so cool and collected and really everything i want to be. i didn’t have it in me to ask someone to take my picture with her, but it was cool to see her nonetheless.

hanging out with my bestie. new york, new york. october 2017.

trinity church. since this trip was all about seeing hamilton, i knew i had to visit trinity church and see alexander hamilton’s grave. the churchyard was pretty empty on tuesday morning, so i got to stand at hamilton’s grave for quite a while and just look while listening to the soundtrack. i thought it was interesting that i couldn’t find angelica’s headstone, since the show specifically mentions her being buried near him, although eliza was easy to spot since there are lots of plaques from the daughters of the american revolution. the other thing that stood out was the marker for their first son phillip — it notes that although it is known he was buried at trinity, the exact location of his grave was never marked, so it is not known exactly where he lays.

one of my favorite places. new york, new york. october 2017.

wrapping it all up at central park. no visit to new york is complete without a stop in central park. it took me to my last day in town, but i made it over there to sit and read and people watch and enjoy the gorgeous weather and the greenery. even mid-morning on a tuesday it is bustling with walkers and joggers and tourists and locals and children and college students and middle-aged adults and senior citizens and vendors and artists and people from literally all walks of life and it is hands down one of my favorite places in the world. it was a great way to wrap up a fantastic week.

manhattan street art. new york, new york. october 2017.

every visit to new york is unique and special and so much fun, and this one was no exception. until next time…

veen on the road: a week in new york. new york is one of my favorite places to visit, and october's trip was no exception. i am lucky enough to have family and friends scattered throughout the city, so i have an abundance of places to stay and an assortment of people to keep me company.

#bars #food #museums #new york #restaurants #travels2017

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