This Mississippi delta sunset seems fitting for my last post about Mississippi – for the moment. (Next – Texas!). Before I head into the border towns, though, I wanted to say a final ‘thank you’ to this amazing state, and share a few excerpts from a letter written by one of the teachers, Ben Peterson of St. Mary’s Academy. Ben captured the essence of the project’s purpose in ways that only an astute and driven teacher can. Ben’s class was…
I will be exploring the many amazing lessons from my trip for months to come. The lesson that surprised everyone, especially the teenagers, the most, was just how much their voice mattered. As I’ve mentioned, different classes chose my destinations based on issues they thought were relevant, and then wrote questions for me to ask people. I would then interview people and send the classes the recordings to discuss and write about (both audio and video). I will be saying…
Our world is shifting. Never in my lifetime has rural America played such a vital role in the shaping of our times. I have spent much of my own lifetime in judgement of rural folks. Sadly, like many others I know, I have ‘thumbed my nose’ at their backwards ways. I am guilty of looking down at these rural dwellers. I feel like I have to go to an ‘AAP’ (Absurdly Askew Perspective) meeting and say, “My name is Carolyn…
