Purpose is not decided
It is discovered
From starting in Detroit, to taking on the World
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From starting in Detroit, to taking on the World
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With today’s political climate intensifying by the second, racism in the United States has become more prominent in the media. Bigotry and hatred have been fully embraced by citizens all over the country and the current administration continues to fuel the fire.
My first time voting was in the 2016 election as a freshman in college. In my 21 years of living I never seen racism so openly accepted and encouraged. I began to read books such as The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander and At the Dark End of the Street by Danielle l. Mcguire. In addition, I began enrolling into courses at Western Michigan University that are social justice related. The election as well as my passion for social justice led me to study African American history, the history of racism in America, and how to dismantle an institutionally oppressive system that has plagued America since its beginnings. During my sophomore year at Western Michigan University, a friend of mine informed me of the Wesley Foundation’s Sankofa trip. The Sankofa trip is designed to broaden people’s perspective on racism while educating them on the history of oppression in the United States. Sankofa, which is a word derived from Ghana, is translated as “Go back and get it.” The training includes visiting historical sites of oppression and resistance with one site being the Whitney Plantation outside of New Orleans. This site specifically will teach us the basis of racism through slavery in America. This trip will not only give me a better understanding of race relations in today’s society, but it will be the first step in my journey to help rebuild communities of color and a resurgence of young African American leaders, educators, innovators, and activists.
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AuthorJustin Black
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