No Turning Back Now!

Folks!

So Departure day is upon us, and we are very excited to go. We woke up at about 8:30 and got ready, finished some packing and had some breakfast with Jesse’s mom. We hopped into our cab, and hit the road to the airport. There Rachel got patted down because of her studded belt, and was groaning and glaring at the security woman the whole time for “violating her.” We grabbed a beverage and picked up “The Book of Negroes” by Lawrence Hill and headed to our gate.

In beginning to read The Book of Negroes, the first chapter held a lot of quotations that sparked again what we are embarking on this journey to do:

1. “My Grandfather says he bets you eat raw elephant…I eat what you eat I told her.”

Not knowing entirely what to expect on this adventure, and having preconceived notions of who we will be meeting, and the stories that we will be hearing, this quotation challenges us to cast these assumptions aside, and live the experience that will then inform our perceptions. This is the challenge of solidarity work, not to let your prejudices get in the way of simply being in community with the oppressed.

2. “But I have weathered enough migrations for five lifetimes, thank you very much, and don’t care to be moved again.”

This quotation speaks to the both of us firstly, because it reminds us of our own privileged lives in having the security of a home – in one place, as well as the comfort of knowing we can rightfully refuse to leave it. This summer, while working in Halifax for the GO project, I was personally able to be witness to many situations like these- people continuously being told to leave where they are currently sitting, attempting to rest, and with any luck, catch some sleep. On one particular night, I witnessed a man who was resting, listening to music, and appeared to be quite drunk, the only problem was where he was resting was inconvenient - on the steps of the church we were staying at. The police arrived, shut of his music, and told him he had to leave. I watched and listened to the police answer that they didn’t care where he went, just as long as he packed up peacefully and followed their instructions. Nothing was offered to him, not a drink, or a ride to a shelter, just a “friendly” get out of here. The people living in the “Tent City” in Vancouver are all victims of a similar situation, with nowhere to go, and not allowed to live in a place that feels like “home”

The Excitement is building, and hopefully we will be able to get settled in tonight, and rested up for a day of activism, solidarity, and community building… Here is a final anecdote to lighten the mood a bit. It is a story from on the plane:

We sat beside a very cute little baby girl named Amber, shortly after spilling a drink all over Jesse, her mom went away with her (for a changing im assuming) and upon return, I smelt poop. Jesse then leaned over and said “I farted.” Woohooo.

Team Awesome, (Jesse and Rachel) signing off :D