by Jade Kandel
Today is our first day in Alabama.
In the National Voting Rights Museum and Institute at Selma, we met our tour guide Sam Walker who spoke with passion and conviction about the story of Jimmie Lee Jackson, Bloody Sunday, and the march from Selma to Montgomery. His passion and enthusiasm was contagious. Mr. Walker concludes by revealing that as an 11-year old boy he held demonstration signs, got arrested twice, and helped clean up the campsite of the Selma march. I was left in awe, being in the presence of a Freedom Fighter who was involved in these inspiring historical moments.
Scattered throughout the museum were footprints engraved in blocks of cement, each belonging to an individual who marched during Bloody Sunday. For me, the unique impressions emphasized identity. Rather than viewing the story at a distance, the artifacts reminded me that real people contributed to this movement and sacrificed their lives for human rights both for themselves and others. While the artifacts were simple in form, complex themes of courage and nonviolence were prevalent.
After touring the museum and visiting the Brown Chapel AME Church we marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Similar to the Martin Luther King Jr. house and the Fredrick Douglas house this was a sacred space. But unlike the other environments the bridge portrayed a strange juxtaposition. Everything appeared ordinary and the view was beautiful, and yet the unseen violence and horror left me shaken.
Next, we visited the Gee’s Bend Quilt Collective. The small building and worn down paint left me skeptical. But as we proceeded inside we discovered site rich with culture and history. Complex colors and geometric patterns filled the quilts, implicitly exhibiting the resistance and resilience in the female African American community. Organizations such as the Smithsonian recognized these quilts for their rich culture and beauty. After watching a PBS video providing context to the organization, the people of the organization treated us with food, singing, and stories.
I approached one of the ambassadors of the tradition, Mary Ann Pettway, and inquired about her process. She sat by her sewing machine and handling what appeared to be like scraps of unwanted fabric, she formed a beautiful pattern. Her process seemed random, yet the color, shapes, and forms illustrated balance and unity. She often referred to her mother and grandmother who taught her how to sew. Arts ability to create unity and tradition within the community amazes me. In the end, she was eager to pass on the tradition as she invited me to design my own quilt!
Today has been a remarkable example of the power in experiential learning. Through engaging and reflecting with people and places with historical and cultural significance, my personal understandings continue to grow.