Several local college students recently participated in the Steward Speakers Annual Road Trip. This year participants went on an historic tour of Buffalo, New York, and Niagara Falls to visit the last stop on the Underground Railroad before slaves entered Canada to freedom. The group also participated in the 43rd annual Juneteenth Celebration.
The following are excerpts from the students’ experiences:
“I received a spot on the Steward Speakers Series New York and Niagara Falls trip through an award from Purdue’s Black Cultural Center (BCC). I was very excited to go because it was focused around Juneteenth, and I wanted to witness Buffalo’s celebration of the holiday. While on the trip, I learned about Buffalo’s involvement in the Underground Railroad, being that Buffalo was the last stop before entering into Canada and, therefore, freedom. We attended the Juneteenth festival by Dr. Charles Drew Science Magnet, where there was plenty of food, music, holistic products and beautiful black people. I had a great time, got some goodies to take home, and was serenaded by the many talents of the community.
“… I really think younger people, especially older teenagers and young adults in their 20s would benefit from this trip. There is so much knowledge to be learned, from whatever destination the Speaker’s Series chooses, and intergenerational learning is phenomenal. We can all teach each other so much.”
Kay Hawthorne, Purdue University
“When I was first told that I was awarded a trip to Buffalo, New York, and Toronto, Canada, (specifically Niagara Falls), I was beyond excited because I had never been to either of these places. I had no clue that this was more than just a trip to Buffalo, New York, and Toronto, Canada. Learning about the involvement of Toronto, Canada, and Buffalo, New York, in the Underground Railroad reminded me that our Black history in schools are really lacking. We usually only learn about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad in the south but this trip took us out of the south and showed just how resilient our people were and just how influential Harriet Tubman was.
“Both tour guides stressed how dangerous it was for people trying to escape during slavery and encouraged us, (particularly the younger people) to tell our story and not “his-story.” One of my biggest takeaways from the bus tour was … ‘We have things in our DNA that we don’t even understand …we all are in need of healing.’ This statement struck me significantly because I know our ancestors endured a lot and all of us who came after them are still trying to heal the wounds of what the slavery business did. In today’s times, we have new versions of slavery including the prison-industrial complex, war on drugs, and human trafficking. While we are still bandaging the scars of our past, we have to simultaneously bandage our scars of today. It’s not an easy task, however with celebrations like Juneteenth and participation in cultural tours like this one, we can live on with the hope that the more we grow in healing, the more we know and share with future generations, the closer we can get to attaining true freedom.”
Latrice Young, Purdue
University
“The trip was very short and very dense, so everything we did as a group was meaningful. Somehow, we all had free time to explore Buffalo and have our own fun. This balance made the trip comparable to the research tours I attended with Purdue’s Black Cultural Center. My highlights from this trip are Niagara Falls, BME Church in Canada, and the Juneteenth celebration. Niagara Falls was simply amazing and an excellent example of Earth’s natural beauty. BME Church in Canada reminded me of the old school Black churches I saw while in the southern United States. Upon going downstairs, in BME Church, there were many artifacts pertaining to Harriet Tubman!
“I would recommend this trip to anybody who loves to travel and learn. It was very organized, but loose enough for everyone to adapt to schedule changes. All ages are welcome; all ethnicities are welcome. The experience gained from attending a Steward Speakers trip is priceless and life changing. My next step is to attend their speaker series.”
-Dominique Shelby, Purdue University
