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Crafting Freedom '05 Participant Reflections On the last evening of the workshops, participants were asked to: " write about how the Crafting Freedom workshop has changed you as an educator and/or individually. What concerns regarding the workshop's subject matter do you have, if any?" Here are some selected reflections from the Crafting Freedom 2005 workshop participants: 1) It was great! What I appreciate most about Crafting Freedom is the wealth of information and resources given to us and introduced to us both for classroom and personal use. Much of the information is not hidden, but might never have come to my attention if not for this workshop. While I knew some information about Elizabeth Keckly, I now have a more accurate sense of the scope of her accomplishments and place in history. The same is true concerning Thomas Day. Something else which is important to me was the format of the workshop. The trips to see, feel, smell the sites, furniture and documents made everything more useful and personally satisfying. There were very few slow places. Almost every piece of information was illustrated in some concrete way, with video or handouts or objects. That illustration is a major attraction and a difference between this workshop and others. The fellowship with willing teachers, eager to learn and generous with time and information, was invaluable. For those of us not in teams, we spent a lot of time turning strangers into friends. That is a real blessing. This had a wonderful balance between talking heads and silently speaking exhibits, spirited presentations and scholarly musings, general period background and specific facts about Day and Keckly. 2) This experience has enriched my life, enhanced my understanding of history, and dispelled many myths. As a result of the experience, I am a better historian and educator. I feel that my life has been enriched and my mind altered. I am grateful for the experience. This has been a once in a lifetime opportunity. Had it not been for this experience, my knowledge of the slave history would have been limited to the documentaries I've seen and the books/narratives I've read. I don't know if I would have ever had the chance to stand where slaves stood in slave quarters on a plantation, or view the sleeping area of young slave children. If not for this opportunity, I would never have had the chance to talk to many of the leading scholars of history of our time. How else would I have had the opportunity to converse with, and pose questions to so many scholars that could shed light on the perspectives of slaves and the conditions in which they lived? Many myths lived in my mind about slavery. This workshop has helped to dispel many of those myths. I thought that all "Big Houses" were ornate. I expected these plantation houses to be huge and beautifully decorated. I was very surprised to learn that most houses were not. I also thought it impossible for black people in the antebellum era to amass wealth and status. I am still amazed that such phenomenal situations existed. However, learning of Thomas Day, Elizabeth Keckly, Jehu Jones and a score of other free blacks of the antebellum era has dispelled the myths and broadened my understanding. Presentations on the use of essential ideas and primary sources will surely translate into me being a better history teacher. I now better appreciate the use of primary sources and will draw on that appreciation when planning lessons. I also plan to go back and research historical sites, and archival data to discover the Thomas day or Elizabeth Keckly in my area. The presentation about clothing was also enlightening. It gave me a glimpse into what life must have been like for women of the time. I am amazed at how much understanding I derived about the day to day life in that era from clothes. I can truly say that I have learned more about American and specifically African American history in one week than I learned in all my years of high school and college history courses. 3) I haven't experienced anything as nice as this exciting well-planned workshop in a while. My co-worker informed me of the workshop which I also than her for. My overall knowledge of any aspect of African American history is very limited. The education that I received this past week participating in the Crafting Freedom Workshop has inspired me to find a way to return to the academic world and get another Masters degree, hopefully in the study of African American history. I feel as if a part of my being has been awakened and a desire has been fulfilled because after retiring next year, I now know what direction I want to go in. Thank you for this and for introducing me to Thomas Day and Elizabeth Keckly. God Bless You All and continue to inspire and educate our minds! 4) I really think that the word "reflection" is so appropriate for these days spent at the Crafting Freedom workshop. Usually a mirror is needed to see a reflection. These past days have been like Alice's magic glass. Information, artifacts, narrative experiences, etc. were the glass through which we looked, not only to gain knowledge of the events of slavery, but to see more clearly how complex its devastation. I wept for Elizabeth when she sealed her lips so no sound would escape as she was beaten. I was so sad to hear Thomas Day's words to his daughter. This successful master craftsman who shares that he is no happier in Milton than the day he arrived. For the rich opportunity to look and being able to know, I thank all the people who prepared and presented. Another important part of this experience is that I did see a reflection. It was mine. It was very clear that I need to know more about this topic from this point on will be a responsibility I take very seriously. 5) The biggest impact has been in my personal life. I have come to realize what a valuable historical primary source I am. It fascinated me to listen to Miss Chubbs talk about her life because so much of my life is a carbon copy. I hold within me those same stories that were told to me by my mother of her life, as well as having first hand experiences with some of the things Miss Chubbs talked about. I now have the drive to actually follow through on researching my family's history and writing about the things told to me by my parents, sisters and brothers. The plantation visit was a wealth of literary writing material. This is what I felt: I walked where my ancestors walked. the air echoed with the music of axes chopping down trees, the humming of workers laboring in the field and the barn and big house. Chills ran through me as I ran my hand over a brick chimney placing my fingers in more than a hundred year old finger print left by its builders. As I crossed the threshold into the slaver cabin I was transported back in time. Frozen in the image of my grandparents home, flooded with the memories of using a straw broom, just like the one leaning against the fireplace to sweep the floor. Outside under the giant black walnut tree (or maybe pecan) I could see silhouettes of children playing, men and women dancing for a moment of rest and escape from their weary, seemingly never-ending, heavy-burdened days, just like my family did on those trips home to the country. I lost my dear sweet mother two years ago and almost lost the memories that were so precious tome. Laurel and Charlie, thank you for putting the song back in my heart, the writing back in my hands and the love of people back in my soul. I can continue the journey with a renewed strength and belief that I do make a difference and what I know is important. I shall again pick up my quilt and sew my life's story, because "when life throws you scraps, make a quilt." 6) This has been a tremendous opportunity for me. I am returning home a changed person, and I have been humbled by what I have seen, learned, and experienced first-hand here. The power of "History in the place," cannot be overstated. Many, many ways of incorporating this material into the curriculum are filling my head now. I have networked with an exciting - and varied - group of professional educators this week that is always so valuable. The inclusion of younger teachers in this session was very refreshing! 7) This has truly been an enjoyable, invaluable educational experience. I have found the past five days to be an incredible, memorable journey. There's so much that I did not know about African American history and so much I look forward to investigating inside the wonderful collection of materials we were given and beyond. The lecturers and various outings and diary readings have made a lasting impression upon me, as has spending this time with the dedicated staff of the Thomas Day Education Project, the professors and the amazing group of people who traveled to be here. If only the sense of community that was built here could recreate itself throughout the country; what an amazing thing that would be! I know it is imperative for all people to be exposed to the information I have received - for all students to see the 4 part video series created by Dante James. But how will that come to be? I want to do what I can to see it happen one person at a time. Although I've added lessons about the Harlem Renaissance, Faith Reinggold, and Horace Pippin to my curriculum, I want to go further exposing my students to more of the primary source readings, research, as well as my own experience this past week. I want to pass my desire to go deeper into the lives of the enslaved to my kids! The lives of Thomas Day and Elizabeth Keckly enlightened me. I love to explore "life lessons" of artists in my classroom, lessons of passion and perseverance and now I can add at least two more amazing people and artisans to share with students. I also look forward to "spreading the word" within my school system about what I have learned and the power of the experience, wanting to wake up others to the importance of all of this for each of us, for our schools, community and world. Thank your for this amazing opportunity. 8) This was my first workshop. It was an awesome experience. It fueled a desire for me to broaden my teaching horizons. New perspectives on teaching, especially, teaching about the African American experiences. I feel much more competent in this area. This was one of my goals for attending the workshop. I gained ideas and approaches which I desperately needed. I always felt like I cheated my students with this education due to my lack of knowledge and possible ignorance. Now I can make right this coming school year. Besides the knowledge and hands on experiences of their grand adventure back in time, friendships were made. The group was very diverse compromised of different cultures, varied ideas and personal woes. Outside of family, children and everything familiar, teachers were able to reflect and share with others providing advice, support and comfort in their lives, ironically with strangers. Networking as well as friendships were formed. With persona problems in mind, I discovered amongst the women in the group, that we too, were crafting our own freedom. Women as a minority are still progressively reaching this goal as well. With a role model such as Elizabeth Keckly- we gained a sense of hope and empowerment - if she can survive and over come, we can too. Granted, we can relate some of her situations to some of our own personal struggles. In conclusion, I hope we continue to craft freedom through our children, as well as to continue to craft freedom for ourselves. 9) Legacy... that's the word that resonates within my mind and heart. Every sight I have seen, every speaker I have heard, and every discussion in which I have participated has pounded that same word unabated. Thomas Day and Elizabeth Keckly had a heightened awareness that what they did mattered. Not simply what they created through their gifted abilities in crafting lasting legends of art, but even more so through their living legacy of character and this was done in spite of enslavement! Crafting Freedom has inspired me to draw from my experiences in this workshop and with enthusiasm share them with my 4th graders. My intended outcome is to let my students understand the power they have to make a difference in their classroom, school, home, and world... simply by the way they choose to live. Therefore with right choices in daily living and exemplifying positive, powerful character traits they too can leave a legacy. I want my students to dream about their own greatness and potential to succeed in spite of hardship. Hold fast to
dreams
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