Back in the States

I AM BACK IN THE U.S AND IT IS A BITTER SWEET MOMENT. I WOKE UP THIS MORNING THINKING I WAS STILL IN ASWAN, LUXOR OR EVEN CAIRO AND REALITY SET IN WHEN I LOOKED AROUND AND I WAS IN MY OWN BEDROOM. MY TIME IN KEMET WAS A SHORT TWO WEEKS BUT THE INFORMATION I LEARNED WAS HARDLY CLOSE TO WHAT A USUAL STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM COULD FIT INTO THEIR SCHEDULES. EVERY DAY WE WOULD VISIT AT LEAST TWO SITES AND DEBRIEF ABOUT IT AFTER DINNER FOR ABOUT TWO HOURS. NOT TO MENTION WAKING UP AT 2:30 AM SOME DAYS TO BEAT THE NEVER FORGIVABLE HEAT AND DEBRIEFING ABOUT OUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCES IN LECTURE LATER ON IN THE EVENING.

WHEN FIRST ARRIVING IN KEMET I KNEW I WOULD LEARN A LOT BUT I WOULD NEVER THINK I WOULD END UP LEARNING HOW TO IDENTIFY HIEROGLYPHICS, GODS/ PHARAOHS AND BEING ABLE TO CONFIDENTLY COMMENT ON STORIES CHISELED INTO THE WALLS OF HISTORY BY MY ANCESTORS. I WAS TRULY CHALLENGED ON THIS JOURNEY ACROSS EGYPT. ALONG WITH MY COLLEAGUES, DR CARR AND DR WILLIAMS AND WE CAN NOT FORGET OUR TOUR GUIDE HOLA WE TAPPED INTO OUT IMAGINATIONS AND PUT OURSELVES INTO THE LIVES OF THOSE BEFORE US.

DR CARR MADE A COMMENT TO US ABOUT HOW WE COULD NOW HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH SCHOLARS OF HIEROGLYPHICS AND WE COULD DISPROVE SOME THINGS THEY BELIEVED. ONCE HE SAID THAT COMMENT I LOOKED BACK AT MY TWO WEEK JOURNEY AND COULD NOT BELIEVE WHAT I LEARNED. I REMEMBER TELLING A FEW PEOPLE I WAS GOING TO EGYPT. THEY ASKED WHY GO TO EGYPT? I REPLIED FOR EXPERIENCE. I KNOW NOW IT IS EVEN BIGGER THAN EXPERIENCE IT IS THE ABILITY TO LOOK NINETEEN YEAR OLD KING TUT IN HIS FACE AND KNOW HE WAS A BLACK MAN OR LOOK AT WRITING DONE AGES AGO THAT LOOKED LIKE THEY HAD BEEN COLORED AND MAPPED OUT THE DAY BEFORE. IT WAS AMAZING. I WOULD STRESS EVERY YOUNG AND ELDER PERSON TO TAKE THIS TRIP TO EGYPT. IT IS TRULY LIFE CHANGING.

ENDING I WOULD LIKE TO THANK DR CARR FOR HIS GUIDANCE...DR. WILLIAMS FOR HER GUIDANCE...GRANDMA CARR FOR ALWAYS HAVING WORDS OF WISDOM...GRAD STUDENTS FOR ADVICE....AND MY FELLOW 21 COLLEAGUES WHO HELPED MAKE THIS TRIP A MEMORABLE ONE. "IF WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT BLACK HISTORY FROM SLAVERY..OF COURSE WE HAVE MADE PROGRESS BUT IF WE KNOW WHAT WE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST ...WE STILL HAVE WORK TO DO..WE HAVE HAD BLACK LEADERS BEOFORE ...BARACK OBAMA IS NOT THE FIRST..WE HAVE HAVE DONE THIS BEFORE IT IS NOTHING NEW. "-ANONYMOUS

ERNEST C.