– 10:00 Ferry to Ellis Island @ the Battery
– Ellis Island visit
– African Burial Ground visit, Duane St. Between Center St. and Broadway/speeches
– Samantha Mercado and the New Young Lords @ People’s Church
– Dinner @ El Nuevo Caribeño
– Metropolitan Museum
– WALK across Central Park to Cultural Connections
Retire to Cultural Connections
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As our Odyssey comes to an end, I feel like a big theme that has connected most of our visits is The People. The organizations and good samaritans helping communities, and amplifying not only their voice but their community’s: it’s a really selfless act to dedicate so much time for other people so that they can get the representation they need – Phoebe
I have been trying to notice the quality and state of the neighborhoods that we pass through on this trip. We have gone to richer and poorer neighborhoods that each have their own unique people inside of them. We have also gone to many communities with different cultures, and it is interesting to see how this shifts as we walk and get on and off the subways – Eleanor
At Ellis Island, it was so cool to see where so many people’s ancestors went through. It must have been such a hard and happy time at the same time. Happy, in a way where people had a new beginning and life waiting for them. Hard, in a way they were leaving everything they knew – Sienna
With the African Burial Ground, what I found what was amazing was that the people buried there were not considered human, even though a burial is one of the most human things we do. Something all humans share is death. Being denied dignity in life, and also death, seemed too much – Jubilee
It was kind of eerie to see the mounds [at the African Burial Ground], but I also felt so bad that people who lost all their power and choice were being told their dead bodies couldn’t have respect, so I am glad they got a burial ground – Tess
Why is time so relevant today? Why is it that time makes something more precious, and why do we disregard some history and choose to display others? Why don’t we stop to appreciate what we have until it’s too late? We seem to respect old things. Why? – Keya
When we met with the New Era Young Lords, Rixaru was saying how he is learning his native people’s [the Taíno] language, which [made me realize] how, sadly taken apart many indigenous people’s culture is – Henry
Seeing all that art [at The Metropolitan Museum] was just so amazing. My favorite paintings were the ones where the painting would look like a blur of color up close, but then when you would look at it from the other side of the room, it would actually be a building. Being in the museum was so relaxing and inspiring. The drawing activity we did was really fun, and it also made you really analyze the painting to really notice all the details – Lena
It hit me that this is the last day of an era for me, and that made me just reflect on my time at Hilltop, and how far I have come, and how much this time has meant to me, and how much I will miss everyone, but how a chapter closes, and another starts up – Dylan
