Beaver students and the Hiatt Center joined student leaders from over a dozen states for the We Have a Dream Action Institute & Rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The institute was designed to promote mutual understanding, work to dismantle injustice, and combat racism and extremism through experiences, activities, workshops, guest speakers, and discussions. The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre history, its sites, and its legacy were used as jumping boards for reflection and deeper learning during the trip.
Attending the We Have a Dream Institute in Tulsa was the first step to help students interested in civic engagement, diversity, inclusion, and justice deepen their knowledge about the role hate and violence have had throughout history, and understand the civic responsibility to ensure we do our part to dismantle injustice and hate of any kind at Beaver and beyond.
-The Hiatt Center
Before attending the institute, the Hiatt Center met with students and families to discuss the logistics of the event and what to expect. Group sessions with the Hiatt Center were also implemented to target social and emotional skills related to engaging with hard history, racism, and injustice and to provide background knowledge around the institute’s context and the significance of the chosen location.
Students had an itinerary in Tulsa full of experiences, workshops, and speakers. The group attended moving performances from spoken word artists and activists CJ Suitt and Kane Smego and a subsequent spoken word workshop facilitated by the artists. A keynote by Ken Nwadike Jr., the founder of the Free Hugs Project, was one of the most popular presentations among the group. The Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, Chuck Hoskin Jr., delivered an additional keynote to students about the difficult history of the U.S. and his commitment to building coalition and allyship. Each speaker and presentation deepened students’ understanding of the hard work necessary to combat racism and division.
I heard about different perspectives on the same issue, I discovered there are ways to make peace with both sides of an argument.
-Student
Outside of the Institute, students explored the surrounding area and its history. The group embarked on a guided walk through the Greenwood neighborhood where they saw metal plaques marking the sites of homes, businesses, and community landmarks that were destroyed during the 1921 massacre. A visit to the Greenwood Rising Museum allowed the group to delve deeper into the history and context of the area. One of the most significant highlights of the institute was a rally held at the historic Vernon AME Church, where survivors sought shelter during the massacre. The service featured local leaders and former Massachusetts Congressman Joseph P. Kennedy III. Students also enjoyed a trip to the Bob Dylan Center and a concert celebration featuring diverse artists from Oklahoma and beyond.
Being physically present at the site of the massacre in May, the month of the massacre, almost exactly 102 years later was extremely powerful.
-Student
Additional workshops that students attended includes:
- Meaningful Community Engagement with Dr. Eric Gill, Director of Community Engagement, Terence Crutcher Foundation
- Social Media for Social Good with Nehemiah Frank, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, The Black Wall Street Times
- Gratitude, Attitude & Activism with Emerson College’s Deans’ Fellows for Racial Equity & Leadership Development Sharon Boateng, Justina Thompson, Beyoncé Stringer-Martinez
- The Path to Influence and Civic Engagement: How to Find Your Voice, Battle Imposter Syndrome and Cause Good Trouble with Keri Thompson, Senior Lecturer, Emerson College
When reflecting upon the experience, several students shared that the trip reaffirmed their commitment to justice. “We need to discuss the past,” one student shares. “By knowing our history we can move forward. Without knowing what happened before we allow history to repeat itself. The importance of discussion is that it allows us to humanize others.” Other students noted that the Institute helped them reflect upon their own privilege; “I realized that not everyone comes from the same position in life but we can all learn to value each other for the traits we have instead of the society we are associated with.” One student shared that the Institute marked a moment of personal growth for them; “if you told me 2 years ago that I would speak in front of that many people I would’ve thought that you were lying.” Each student that attended the Institute and Rally returned to Beaver with a commitment to justice that will inform not only how they engage with classwork, but also how they interact with their community and peers.
As a result of this experience, students faced, head on, a history not often told surrounded by youth leaders from diverse backgrounds and locations across the nation. Eye-opening facts, difficult truths, brave spaces of conversation, and the impact of experiencing historic landmarks, and first-hand survivor accounts from people impacted by the massacre and its legacy left our students with, of course, deep knowledge and rich experience. However, their gains didn’t stop there. There was rich social and emotional growth. Navigating four days immersed in hard history, brave conversations, and civic engagement workshops put to practice essential skills related to becoming future actors and advocates for justice, diversity, and inclusion at Beaver, in their communities, in their future colleges, and in their professional lives.
-Hiatt Center