No Words

I have no words for what I just experienced. I am so struck by how people are still living, experiencing, and understanding today's world. On this trip, we have mostly visited memorials, monuments, and churches that display the successes of the civil rights movement. Sites that commemorate leaders like Martin Luther King and John Lewis and Rosa Parks. And it's amazing to see the progress out society has made. That blacks are no longer enslaved and killed merely because of the color of their skin. That blacks no longer have to fear for their lives as they walk down the street. And it truly inspires me to help continue that progress in today's world. But after trucking hours and hours on our bus, we arrived at a place quite different from the previous sites we've visited. Listening to senior Toysha who was a part of the Freedom Project in Sunflower County, Mississippi, opened my eyes to the injustices that still exist today and really receive no attention. She attends a public school that consists of only black students, while the private school in the town is allotted for the white students only. In fact, white students receive scholarships to attend the private school based on the fact that they fear for their lives by attending the public school. As I listened to her story and how she answered my questions, I was stunned and extremely impressed. Stunned that our society STILL judges people based on the color of their skin. And impressed that Toysha and her peers are brave enough to talk directly about this obvious racism and figure out ways to prevent it. How is it that it is almost 60 years since the Civil Rights Movements initially began and injustices like these are still occurring in the country? Where does it end? I can't really write down all that going through my head honestly. I am embarrassed for our country. Scared for those who suffer. And angry at my own race. 

Geneva Trovato, City College