The Work Continues

On Friday morning we woke up, the fried chicken from the night before at the bottom of our bellies. We knew we were in for another day with some of the most thoughtful, kind people we had ever met. Throughout the day we rotated between family groups, home groups, affinity groups and finally regional groups. In my family group we continued the discussion of “-isms” within society and how the cycle of oppression could be broken. In my home group of S.W.A.G we discussed the same issues but developed a more tight-knit circle. During lunch they held a talent show and I was lucky to have performed in it. The crowd was so willing to listen and pay attention to everyone. There was one girl who was nervous and asked everyone to close their eyes, and to my amazement I didn’t see one person with their eyes open. In the evening, a speaker came to talk to us about stereotypes against Muslims. She presented the issue in a comedic way which I liked because it helped to better understand it. Next, people who wanted to talk about their experience at the conference or what they were dealing with were given the chance to speak which I thought was really empowering. Finally, we had the dance which capped off another stunning day.

~ S.W.A.G Member Ova Flo (Justin J., Class III)

Saturday: The Final Day

Despite being very tired, we all were ready to enjoy our last day in Philly. The day started off at the Pennsylvania conference center, where everyone was broken up into affinity groups by gender. Conversations about different topics between students and teachers occurred. After affinity groups, everyone was split up by state or region. Students from the schools prepared topics to be discussed with the teachers so they could get a sense of how we felt about going to an independent school in America. Questions ranged in topics including socio-economic status and race. Once this activity was over, everyone gathered in the grand ballroom for the closing ceremony.  The closing ceremony including the POCC choir performing, and students from the area performing African songs and dances. We ended the ceremony with a speech from one of President Obama's close friends who attended an independent school.

 Once the conference was over, we got the chance to finally eat a Philly cheesesteak. After lunch we saw a former Nobles faculty, Marlon Henry, and said goodbye to him. At 1:30 we headed to the college fair where we were able to learn about seventeen different colleges near Philly and other places not to far from there.  After a tiring day, we were all very happy to head to the train station and head home.

This whole experience has taught me to be more open-minded.  I thought a lot about things I would do on a daily basis without even thinking and many people may be offended. I will definitely think a lot more about the things I do and correct people when they use terms incorrectly because I learned the difference between many words people use in their vocabulary daily. I found it interesting how some teachers reacted to questions during regional groups. Some questions took a longer time for a teacher to come forward and answer and it may have had to do with the content in the question that had to be answered. Another thing I found interesting was how when certain terms are used, teachers had similar stereotypes in their heads as the students did.

~ Jaida J., Class II

Getting It

I was told by many people what SDLC was like. How everyone would cry and be really close by the end. By much on the second day I was still trying to figure out what everyone thought was so special. Leaving lunch with my friends, we made our way to out family group, Bustleton (named after a a town in Pennsylvania). We began playing a game called “Get Real” where we could ask our counselors any personal questions they were comfortable with answering. After 15 minutes, we got to the subject of public schools and how many of them needed help. One girl began to talk about her friends who did not have the same opportunities as her and were ignorant to what was out there. It was during this discussion that I finally saw and understood why we were really here. We were not here just to make a difference at our schools or to talk about diversity. We had to be there to lift others who were not as fortunate to have what we had. After that, my group became closer together. Sadly, we only had an hour left with each other but we were able to enjoy every minute of it. I miss them all and wish them all the best at their schools and beyond.

~ Jessica M., Class II

A Life-Changing Experience

It would be an understatement to say SDLC changed my life.  Not only did it inspire me in ways I knew not possible, but it also gave me practical strategies to express the issue of prejudice that is prevalent in every area of our lives today.  It taught me not to focus on the little things, but the whole picture, the complicated mass of “isms” and oppression that so many of us human beings accept each day of our lives.  We do not have to accept them, and I know that personally I never will again.  Only silence can keep oppression going, in whatever form.  By putting me with the most amazing group of people I have ever met in my life, I have realized that silence is not an option.  The people that I was with are going to be the leaders of tomorrow, and SDLC taught that I will be one of them as well if I am not silent.

            By replacing oppression with empowerment, I am going to battle against prejudice.  If you are prejudiced, watch out.  I will always respect you and treat you like every human being deserves to be treated, but I will never call you my friend, and I mean that.  This feeling of choosing people to be allied with has always interested me because I am naturally open-minded, but SDLC has given the drive, hope, and relationships to do it.  There is no time in my short life here on the planet to be with people who will bring me down.  There is only time to educate them.

            I would like to end this with a song, one of my favorites.  My connection to the song grew stronger after SDLC, so here are the lyrics:

           

In the Beginning, by K’naan

Yiiiiaaaoowww!

*breathing*

So -

In the beginning there was hum

From a poet whose pulse fell

Drum drum drum!

He would perform prayers and all

Till one day he heard a voice call

Come come come!

Suspicious he moved with vicious caution

Dismisses, he thinks it's a little off

People get held back

By the voice inside them

Yo -

The voice said I'm poised to speak inside you

Rejoice and please let me invite you

To evil, greed and lies too

Yeah -

Confusing days he moved in ways he soon became a kuuni

Boom boom boom

And knock on his door his lord is no more

And knock on his door his soul is no more

La la la la- yeah

La la la la- that was in the beginning

La la la la- as the story goes on

La la la la-

So so so -

The poet's got a proposal

He would always hope but never know

What it feels to be free

He would be the frozen imposed as the chosen on all those opposing

But he would be greedy

That's got him there

He's power hungry and proud too

People don't care, people just scared

People don't care, people just prayer

La la la la- yeah

La la la la- that was in the beginning

La la la la- there was a hum

La la la la- and things change

La la la la-

Yeah, yeah, yeah -

Say -

It's better to light a candle than to curse the dark

In the eyes of the youth there are question marks

Like freedom

Freedom for the mind and soul

We don't see them

See them for their worth at all

That's why we lead them

Lead them to these wars and what is it we feed them

Feed them our impurities and who it is we treat them

Treat them like the enemy humanity will need them

Need them like the blood we spill and where freedom

Freedom for the hearts we fill

Mislead them

They hunger for the love we give

But we cheat them

The cops beat them when all he wants is his freedom

So they defeat them

Whatever spirit he's got

Beat them

And they teach them that the rest of the world don't need him

And he believes it's a disease that he's heathen

Put up your fists if all you want is freedom

Put up your fists if all you want is -

La la la la- That was in the beginning

La la la la- And things change

La la la la-

Yeah, yeah, yeah -

And we keep holding on

And we keep being strong

And we keep going on

And on and on and on

And we keep holding on

And we keep being strong

And we keep going on

And on and on and on

~ Amelia A., Class II

Exhausted but Enthralled After Day One!

Thursday: 1,500 Individuals, 1,500 Ideas

The Cycle of Oppression

This cycle starts internally with the fear of difference. Seeing someone different from us causes us, as a natural response of human behavior, resort to fighting, fleeing or freezing. That then leads us to a stereotype (not to be confused with a prejudice). A stereotype is “value neutral,” they are generalizations with no value. When a stereotype becomes a prejudice, a value has been added to a generalization, whether positive or negative. It becomes discrimination, and becomes external as soon as action is taken. When groups start acts of discrimination is when it becomes institutional oppression. And finally when an individual starts blaming themselves, saying “it must be me” it becomes internalized oppression.

I always thought I understood what an “ism” was. Sexism. Racism. Classism. What I didn’t understand was that is was that it stemmed from fear of difference. Why be afraid of differences? There are people who strive to be different, but being different causes society to oppress you at a certain times.  And it’s strange that we can use stereotype and prejudice as synonyms but they turn out to be very different things that most of us weren’t able to grasp at first. To be honest, it’s hard to grasp anything at this conference at first. As soon as you feel comfortable about a topic, as if you understand it fully, you’re pushed to discomfort and forced to see more than just your solution or your region’s solution but you start to see how 1,500 individuals have at least 1,500 ideas about the same thing. Someone said that we could talk about a single subject, a single activity, for an entire day. I don’t see why we shouldn’t keep these conversations going. 

~ Y-Binh N., Class III 

Thursday: Getting to Know You

With a group of over 1,500 kids, playing Stand Up, Sit Down wouldn’t be expected to be an effective game.  We were all told to be silent, and not comment on anything we saw or heard. General statements were made such as, “Stand up if you are a freshmen.” The more we got into the activity, the more serious the statements became. Not realizing how open or safe people felt in this environment, I did not expect anyone to stand up when a member of the faculty said,” Stand up if you consider yourself trans-sexual.” Shocked, I looked up to see that about six people were standing up and admitting something that they know most of society does not accept. The body language of one of the faculty, who identified herself as a trans-sexual, seemed proud. The students, on the other hand, seemed as though they were annoyed and felt as though they were being judged. Looking back, I realize the strength of what it must of taken to admit that. They were all my age, and being different as a teenager isn’t something that is usually celebrated. I respect and admire the guts it must have taken to make themselves vulnerable in front of people who they don’t know. Before today, I never considered what it meant or felt to be an outcast until today. One of the leaders of SDLC said, “ I can stand in a room and still be invisible.” I have yet to feel this way, but now I think of how people feel.  I wonder if anyone at Nobles feels this way. In our community we strive to make people feel included, but I speculate if anyone feels this way.  As a community, it is our job to open our self to diversity. We talk about diversity in terms of ethnic backgrounds, but it might be time to talk about sexual orientations.

In a room of over 1,500 students, you are forced to squash stereotypes and look at the individual because it’s a # Melting Pot!

~Abbeygale A., Class III

Wednesday: Starting the Conversation Early

We took a bus to the train station. During the four- hour train ride, I tried to get some homework done, but my friends and I felt like we were already at the SDLC, discussing diversity for the whole time. When we arrived at the hotel, I saw hundreds of people from all over the country.  It was truly a sight to see. It made me very excited for the conference. There were many people that I am looking forward to meeting.  The conference promises to be great!

~ Joon P., Class III

Wednesday: Great Expectations

We left school early to board the train to Philadelphia. On the way there we really had no idea what the next couple of days had in store. After the ride we arrived at the hotel where the conference is being a held. The lobby was filled with students readying themselves for the conference. We then realized that this conference would be extremely powerful and possibly a life changing experience. We are all looking forward to what the rest of the conference has to offer.

~ Ben P., Class III