– Leave Hilltop
– Depart from New Haven on Metro North, arrive at Grand Central Station
– Arrive Cultural Connections Hostel, 38 W. 88th Street
– Meet w/ Peggy King-Jorde
– Pizza and dance party w/ Taj Campman @ Friends and Lovers, 641 Classon Ave, Brooklyn
– Retire to Cultural Connections
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When we went from Grand Central with so many people to a calmer part of Manhattan and then to Brooklyn, which could have been thought of as dirty or poor, I realized that all of these places have so many cultures and beliefs woven into them, and that New York is more than the Empire State Building.
-Eleanor
Peggy King-Jorde led a fight to preserve and honor the dead. She said something along the lines of, “Engaging with the honoring of the dead is an act of activism.”… You could see in her eyes the passion of her feeling. People in those burial grounds were so mistreated that they couldn’t even be buried in New York. They were treated like they weren’t even humans, but they were.
-Sienna
In talking with Peggy, I realized that memory is very fundamental… The way we remember someone’s life is important. Knowing your past gives you a better sense of autonomy. It feels so good to discover things about your history because you gain a better understanding of yourself. It feels like one more puzzle piece to the set on through eternity.
-Keya
In out visit with Peggy, I understood why someone would be so devoted to a cause as to dedicate their life work to something that may not put food on the table, but is morally right.
-Dylan
I felt really connected to Peggy. I don’t really know why, Maybe it was because she was friendly and had Jewish connections. But mostly, I think, it was just the good vibes I got from her.
-Tahgel
When Peggy talked about how the government is for the people, and how she gathered community to help her in trying to salvage the African Burial Ground, I really thought about how even if a process is long and maybe a struggle, we have power in the little things we do.
-Phoebe
Peggy made me think a lot about many things going back to our prompt of the year: What does it mean to be human in community? Because she talked about having to advocate for Black people to be on the archeologist team. At first people didn’t agree, and then they realized it was important… Dancing was really fun, and there was a lot of laughing.
-Annie
I felt that going to Friends and Lovers was very fun as it really showed how connected our whole class has become. It was a good experience to be able to chill and have fun before we start the full days of the Odyssey.
-Elon
