African Burial Ground Trip by Russell Grandberry

On October 2nd, i went to sleep on a bus at Howard. Four hours later i woke up in Manhattan. Waking up to towering skyscrapers and reflective glass buildings isn't something that I'm used to. I was born and raised in Tennessee, so our only skyscrapers are downtown. The bus ride there, however, was only half of the journey. After waking up in downtown Manhattan, we got off the buses and proceeded to the Federal Building.

To start off the trip, Dr. Carr had the group gather around him in a circle. He talked to us about our ancestor's long voyage across the water, and the things that our families had to sacrifice to get us to Howard. We then began a ceremony of paying respect to our ancestors. We poured out water for them, and spoke the word Ashte (sp). After we went inside of the federal building to see the exhibit.

When we first arrived in the federal building, they directed us toward a small theater room. In the room they showed us a short documentary of the African burial ground. The documentary talked about the discovery of the burial ground, and how outraged the black citizens of the community were when they learned the news. The documentary also talked about the protest and marches that the community held to ignite change. The documentary also talked about Howard University and the roll that we played in helping research the bones.

In the exhibit itself, there were a variety of different things. They showed tools used by slaves that may have been buried with them after death. The exhibit contained pictures of the bodies that were uncovered. The exhibit not only showed us how many bones were found, but the also told us of the discriminatory treatment of the slaves who essentially built New York.

Overall going to New York was a great experience. The trip helped me get in touch with my ancestors more, and required me to think about my heritage. Howard students come from so many different places from all over the country, but in the end we are somehow connected, and the trip taught me that. It also gave me a time to thank my ancestors for all they had done and the opportunity that i was given to make a change in the world