Starting Up the Blog Again

A lot has happened. I haven't really known where to start. At one point in September I tried to make a post about my new apartment but then my internet died. ANNOYING! So I gave up. I've kind of forgotten about the blogspot world until now. I have sixty three pages to write by Friday, so this is going to be brief but I am just going to write about a few things that have occurred in the last few months.

The Biggest Thing: I realized I was truly a person of "white privilege."

I have been placed at a daycare in East Saint Louis, Illinois for my Contextual Education this school year. When I signed up for this placement I didn't know anything about East Saint Louis. I'm glad I didn't because I probably would have chickened out. I'm so grateful that I have been given this opportunity. Both at Drury and in orientation at Eden, I was forced to read an article about white privilege. If I could remember who wrote it, I would quote the person, but I can't remember and don't have the time to find it. Anyway, my point is, I had read about white privilege and I had a basic concept of what it was. But until I went to the daycare and experienced being the only white person in an entirely African American and poverty stricken community, I had absolutely no idea what that really meant. 

Every Wednesday and Friday when I go there and spend time with those amazing kids, I am reminded of all that I have been given in my spoiled rich white girl life. I am also reminded that because of their race and geographic location, they have been given almost nothing. The daycare and the churches that support it do their best to make up for what the community is lacking, but there are thousands of miles to go before these kids are given an equal playing field. It's so unfair and I am reminded -- no -- slapped in the face every time I go there of the work we need to do to help the poverty-stricken areas in the U.S.

Added to the fact that I am the only person who looks like me at my placement, I had the opportunity to hear James Cone speak. He compared Jesus' crucifixion to lynching. It completely blew my mind. I heard him speak at the beginning of October and I am still processing it. I wish I would have recorded it so I could go back and listen again. All I can say is wow. 

THEN, Obama won. I got to go to the daycare the day after election night and the spirit in that place was amazing. Even the kids were excited that he won. From all of this, I've come to appreciate the struggle. I think because, I've seen it first hand now. I think it's horrible that my home county is 85% white. What the hell?! This has also led me to other questions like, why are churches the most segregated places in the U.S.? Why is there a White Church and a Black Church. Shouldn't there just be a God's Church?!

Here's a picture of a few of the kids who opened my eyes:

So yeah, that's the biggest thing that I've experienced this semester. There's more to be said about it, but I don't have the time. I also don't know exactly what to say yet. I'm going to write more over Christmas break, I think.

This time next week, I'll be in France! More about that later. I gots to go write.