11/5/2018 0 Comments Highlights From Our Breakout Trip!Day 1 (Saturday):
We started out our trip by commuting down to DC. We took a Megabus down there and then took the Metro. Unfortunately, our AirBnB wasn’t ready for us to check in yet so we were given a hotel to stay at during the night. Below is a picture we took in the elevator. Day 2 (Sunday): We woke up bright and early and to get to our AirBnB. We took many trains and buses but we finally checked into our Air B and B! We quickly dropped our stuff at the AirBnB and went to go and meet with our first community partner. Despite the fact that our AirBnB was infested with roaches and located at least an hour from all of our activities and community partners, we managed to bond while we stayed together. We were tired, but refreshed when we met with our first community partner in the afternoon. The lovely Keenan Reed, Chief of Staff for Congressman McEachin, had organized a roundtable discussion with a collection of incredible ladies working in the DC area, from congressional staffers to neuroscientists at Johns Hopkins. It was inspiring to see so many amazing black women in leadership roles. While these women aren’t on CNN or the ballot, they’re behind the scenes enacting change and making waves (all with flawless curls). We were grateful to be invited to a round table about hair politics with black women on the Hill. The conversations were filled with anecdotes of hair discrimination from employers and also older black women in their profession. We discussed the emotional baggage that comes with African American hair, but also laughed at our similar struggles with taming our locs. We also were excited to see that a few Princeton alumni were working on the hill. After the two hour long discussion we reluctantly left and went grocery shopping to prepare for our first cooked meal! We made chicken with white rice and peas, and a side of mac and cheese. Day 3 (Monday): Sitting in a tight circle surrounded by photos of complex braided styles and African art, we began our day in the N Natural Hair Studio owned by the lovely Angela Walker. With a twinkle in her eye, she told us her story. A story of trial and error, of appeasing parents and claiming individuality, of making her way from accountant to personal trainer to hair stylist to entrepreneur. A few Chic-Fil-A orders and an impromptu Forever 21 visit later, we found ourselves in the presence of Pamela Ferrell, a pioneer in the natural hair movement, the owner of Cornrows & Co., one of the first natural hair salons, and a fierce advocate for hair equality and acceptance of black cultural hairstyles in the workplace. I don’t know if it was the order of our day (going from a fairly new salon to a historical one) but one of the key takeaways was the importance of lineage and mentorship. Angela learned from Pamela and Pamela learned from someone else in her life and that someone else learned from all of the phenomenal black women before her. Just like braided hairstyles, advocacy is passed down from generation to generation, legacies of change being trusted in the hands of those who grasp the baton at the finish line. People like Pamela Ferrell pave the way but it’s up to future generations to maintain her legacy and continue fighting for racial equality. In the evening, we met with Alexandria Robinson ‘16, a 3rd teacher in DC. We generally spoke with her about her experiences at Princeton. She shared with us a bit about life after Princeton and how the teacher prep program at Princeton has allowed her the chance to teach straight out of college. Additionally, we also discussed her experiences with youth and youth empowerment through becoming a coach for the basketball team at the school she teaches at. Day 4 (Tuesday): In the morning we met with Yene Damtew, a professional hair stylist, at Busboys and Poets in Arlington, Virginia. Yene Damtew has styled numerous celebrities and politicians, including Former First Lady Michelle Obama. Yene shared with us her experience growing up in California and braiding hair outside her parent's garage. She, a daughter of immigrants, was able to work hard and become a highly influential stylist while also giving back to her community by allowing aspiring stylists to shadow her whenever she has the time. We appreciated her keeping it real with us. Despite the two hour commute to Arlington, we remained in good spirits and shared some good laughs and smiles with one another. On our way from Arlington we saw the Pentagon. After lunch, we met with Dr. Leslie Hinkson, a professor in Sociology at Georgetown University. We spoke with her about her experiences in academia with having natural hair. I learned that we need to free ourselves from the societal norms policing our bodies. She also mentioned that with any profession there will be some trade-offs. For some, the trade-off may be that you will have less control over your body and how you are able to alter/adorn it. But one thing she made clear was that even though you may feel the need to alter your appearance to get your foot in the door, once you’re there, your capabilities and work ethic speak louder than the way you wear your hair. Day 5 (Wednesday): We went to visit elementary and middle school students Patrick Henry! At first, we went to the wrong school but then we made it to the correct one and greeted the students as they paraded around the school’s courtyard in their Halloween costumes - their favorite book characters. It was amazing to read to the 2nd graders and help the middle schoolers with English and Math. It really made me reflect on my own educational experiences. We also talked about our college experiences and answered any questions the middle school students had about college. Over dinner, we had a discussion with Chelsea Cheree McLin, a graduate student at UMD who had done incorporated natural hair and the perception of black women into her research. Specifically, she explored how audiences reacted negatively to Rue, a 12-year-old character from The Hunger Games, because of her race and the perception of blackness as the opposite of innocence. She emphasized that in order to combat natural hair discrimination, more representation is needed. Since it was Halloween, we attempted the Outbreak Escape Room at Big Escape Rooms. We didn't escape, but we did have a lot of fun! Day 6 (Thursday): On Thursday, our group leaders and Kennedy sacrificed sleep to wake up at 6:30 am and get us tickets to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. It was empowering and enlightening to wake through history and see all the accomplishments of people who looked like us. It was also pretty cool to see Pamela Ferrell’s book (pictured below) and work with natural hair advocacy highlighted in the museum. The museum also had a floor dedicated to interactive exhibits, including a virtual step tutorial and the “Explore Your Family History Center”, where a couple of us dove into Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org to trace our roots. Over dinner, we met with Cindy, an entrepreneur with her own natural hair care line: Diva by Cindy. She used her chemistry and public health background to create products that promote healthy hair. She also taught us how she makes a relaxer that is healthier than the average hair relaxer. Her focus was more on the health of one’s hair than the style it was in. What was more impressive than her passion for natural hair care but her passion for philanthropy. She donates a portion of all her proceeds to victims of domestic violence and cancer patients in a local hospital. Day 7 (Friday): On Friday we were able to sleep in. Then we headed back to Princeton. In New York, most of us parted ways in order to visit family over the weekend and grab food before heading back to the orange bubble.
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