Moreau Center Social Justice Programs

Immersions

First Weeks in the L’Arche Bologna Community

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We made it to L’Arca! It has been about 4 weeks now since we arrived, and Amanda and I have learned so much. I remember being so nervous to meet everyone and start heading to the community because I still wasn’t entirely sure on how I was supposed to approach the community. When we reached the community, about a 25-minute drive from the airport, Alessandro showed us to the house, Cedro, where we were going to be staying for the two months we were volunteering. We met several of the other volunteers and we started to unpack our things and settle in. We had some time to rest and collect ourselves, but soon Daniela, the woman in charge of the volunteers in the community, called us in and gave us a tour of the community. It was all a little bit overwhelming because there was so much to remember, and the language made it even harder to understand and follow. At this time, she also gave us and explained our schedules. Since there are three different houses in the community, Amanda was assigned to work in Mana while I was placed in Grano. The first two weeks were difficult for me because it was hard to adjust to the community’s flow and learn a new language. Italian is still difficult for me and I am nowhere near being fluent, but I am able to understand when given instructions. I have also learned some phrases and words along the way which have really helped to communicate with the people with disabilities as well. 

Now that we have had about a month in the community, I feel like I have the flow of things around here. Every morning after breakfast, everyone goes to a large room in Mana to greet other community members good morning. That was extremely helpful in learning everyone’s names. I have learned that on Mondays, Amanda and I help out with physical therapy. On Tuesdays, we form groups and we go on a day trip outside of the community before lunch. Wednesdays can be very busy for me because it is usually cleaning the house and takes up all the time before lunch time. On Thursdays and Fridays, I usually help in the kitchen. That means either helping to chop fruits and vegetables or cleaning the kitchen. Getting the hang of the schedule makes it easier to work and allows for a smoother transition because then we don’t end up wasting time. Overall, my experience here has been eye-opening, and I can’t wait to learn more Italian and be able to communicate better with others. Being with the disabled members of the community has also allowed me to treasure the small things and appreciate time spent just being present in life.

-Alessandra Coro

Selma and New Orleans

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Hey family and friends!

In the final segment of the immersion, we were able to physically immerse ourselves in very impactful and powerful places. We traveled from Montgomery to Selma, where thousands of activists marched for their right to vote. 

Walking on the Edmund Pettis bridge represented the courage, pride, and triumph of the activists in 1963.  It was very powerful to know we stood where such amazing history took place. Seeing the footprints of those who walked and seeing the FBI surveillance pictures of the activists truly depict the impact that Selma had on the civil rights movement. However, even with how many steps forward marches like Selma created, it brings up questions of whether another march like Selma will occur in the future as we continue to battle with civil rights issues.

We then traveled to New Orleans, where we visited the Lower 9th Ward and learned more about the impact of Hurricane Katrina on the city and its marginalized groups. Although the community is not as lively as it once was, the love, courage, and pride of the neighborhood persists through community centers such as the local museum and grocery store. The stories of the individuals who survived Katrina were not forgotten; they are honored and celebrated as the community continues to rebuild.

We continued to learn more about the revitalization of the city at Studio Be, an art exhibit by local painter B Mike, that artistically represented the pain and suffering of Katrina, but also the celebration of black activists and the black community. 

In the final portion of this immersion, our group battled with the question of “What is our call to action? What are we going to do with the knowledge we gained throughout the trip?”.

At a panel in Montgomery, we were able to listen to the stories and advice of living members of the civil rights movement. They taught us that it is imperative that we continue to educate ourselves about the systems that oppress marginalized groups. That we must find our call in social justice no matter the career path we pursue, and to act on the issues we are passionate about. We are the generation that is next up to create change.

A huge thank you to the Moreau Center for Service and Justice, Tyler Wagner, and the other immersion leaders for making this experience possible!

Signing off,

Gloria Joseph and Jackson Blum

Safari Time

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After its long anticipated arrival, the safari arrived. While it meant it was one of the coolest experiences of the trip, it also meant it was wrapping up.

We got to indulge on one of the main tourist attractions of Tanzania and it didn’t disappoint. We started our safari (which in Kiswahili means “journey”) in Tarangire. When we arrived at the starting point we were greeted by these cute little monkeys that seemed very accustomed to the presence of humans yet still weary of them. The first warning our driver gave us before we got out of the car was to close our windows because; “they’re very sharp and fast. If they see snacks in the car they will get them.” Taking a quick bathroom break, walking around the area and just letting it sink in that we were possibly about to encounter the big 5 was a lot to digest and take in. You could feel the excitement in the atmosphere and the small encounter with the monkeys was just a small taste of what was about to come. A little into the drive we encountered a herd of “tembo” (elephants) enjoying their lunch. They were about about 15 ft from the car and were completely unfazed by our noisy Land Rovers and our excited squeals. One of the highlights of the day was when we finally got to see, mostly hear, some female “simbas” (lions) hunt and kill a pumba (warthog). While it was hard to witness, as the Lion King would say “it’s the circle of life.”

We continued to see more animals from Twigas (giraffes) to swala (Impalas) and colorful birds, when we took what we thought would be an uneventful lunch break our guides warning about the monkeys, like a prophecy, came true. When we got to our picnic site, we noticed how persistent and fearless the little guys were. How, regardless of us shooing them away they really wouldn’t flinch until our guides intervened. By the end of lunch we thought we had outsmarted them until our group got distracted and in a matter of seconds a chocolate bar and some biscuits were stolen. While that commotion was going on I (Paula) looked away from my lunch to see what was happening and when I turned back there was a monkey sitting in front of me making direct eye contact. Thinking he could get some dessert too, when I screamed at him he didn’t even flinch so I packed what I could and ran. When I looked back, there was a chocolate wrapper on the ground and one happy monkey.

After enjoying the sights of more animals, we headed to our campsite for the night and got to bed for an early morning. We set out for the Ngorongoro crater before dawn. The Ngorongoro crater was once a volcano the size of Mount Kilimanjaro that collapsed on itself and is now a natural sanctuary for wildlife. We saw hundreds of zebras, wildebeest and flamingos. We were blessed with the opportunity to see two male Simbas and the luckiest thing of the day was to see two rhinos. We got to see some hippos, water buffalos and enjoyed the sunny day in the crater. After a full day of safari we began our way back to Moshi.

Kwaheri wanyama, we’ll be back! Asante sana. (Goodbye animals, we’ll be back! Thank you so much)

Paula and Brittany

Visiting St. Brendan’s Parish

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We spent Friday the 17th on a 5-hour car ride from Moshi to a small, rural village called Kitete. The village is so remote that most people in the city of Moshi have never heard of it. If you try googling it, it doesn’t exist. The car ride (the parts that we were awake for) was beautiful; we drove past Masai villages, monkeys, camels, the Great Rift Valley, and Lake Manyara.

St. Brendan’s parish, where we stayed in Kitete, is on top of a hill (almost like the bluff) with an amazing view of the lake and surrounding hills. When we arrived, we were greeted by Brother Morris (also known as BroMo, pictured on the right in his swaggy Tire Rack sweatshirt and bucket hat) and a massive lunch. After stuffing our faces, we showed up to mass two hours late. But don’t worry, we got there in time for communion and the last two hours of mass (in Swahili). After mass, we were invited to share a meal with the community. We were still full from lunch #1 (and breakfast and snacks in the car) but we ate anyway. As our host mom lovingly said, “You’re in Africa, you’re allowed to be fat.”

After church, we had a bumpy ride back to St. Brendan’s to tour the vocational secondary school behind the parish. In the evening, we had soup and bread while we waited for the bishop to arrive. Thinking this was our dinner, we filled up. Two hours later, the archbishop showed up and we had dinner #2, this time, it was a full spread (yes, we counted: 6 meals, 1 day). This weekend was special in Kitete because the archbishop was making his yearly visit. Over the weekend, 124 couples were married and 344 people were confirmed. We were there for all of it. Additionally, it had been four years since the newly built church was consecrated and we were a group of 14 visitors–Fr. Sebastian was excited to point out the theme of 4’s. On Saturday, we attended the weddings. 5 hours later, 124 couples were married in the Catholic Church and our group became a choir. Mama Mo composed her first song in Swahili, Asante, and we performed the song during mass and introduced ourselves (this was the only part in English). The entire mass and celebrations were televised on national TV. Afterwards, we watched the newly weds feed each other cake and had the opportunity to feed each other wedding cake, too. All the sitting in church left us pretty restless and looking for movement. When there was no dancing after the weddings, we took it upon ourselves to start a dance party outside the pastoral residence. It began with Yeudith’s tiny speaker, but 20 minutes in, Fr. Sebastian ridiculed our quiet music and brought out a 3-foot tall speaker. We danced for three hours, rain and all. The music brought out priests, brothers, seminarians, the women who cooked our delicious food, and even a bride. It was a great bonding experience, and a highlight of the weekend. We also have a great Swahili playlist now.

The next day, we attended 344 confirmations. This time, we came prepared. We brought water, snacks, journals, and books to help us through the 6 hour ceremony. Some of the younger confirmandi performed a song and dance. We again performed a song for the congregation; we sang Sia Hamba, a South African folk song about marching with God. We had lunch after mass with the priests and bishop, and then laid low until dinner. This time, the party was inside. We danced and played musical chairs all night (we heard that some priests even stayed up until 4am). As Fr. Sebastian said, “In the Western world, you think therefore you are. In Africa, we dance, therefore we are.”

Monday morning, we had breakfast and toured the vocational school more in-depth with BroMo. Students study the trades of knitting, carpentry, welding, brickery and masonry, hairdressing, electrical work, or tailoring. It was amazing to see so many young people with so many talents. Many of us ordered custom-made skirts and shirts from the students in the tailoring department. They were beautiful! After lunch, we watched the student women’s netball and men’s soccer games. In the evening, we introduced the priests to Uno cards and played rambunctious card games for the rest of the night.

Tuesday morning, we woke up at 7am to attend–you guessed it–another mass. This time, it lasted 30 minutes (as promised by Fr. Sebastian) and the homily was given in both Swahili and English. After mass, we packed up our things and said our goodbyes. This was the hardest goodbye of the trip. We bonded with the community at St. Brendan’s and truly felt the spirit of the nation.

On the way to our next destination, we had an exciting drive. The roads were especially muddy and hard to cross due to recent rain, and not even our trusty Land Cruisers were equipped to handle them. We skidded and lost traction driving up and down steep, rocky mud roads. Inevitably, the cars got stuck. Before we could get too nervous, about twenty people came to our rescue from their nearby homes. After lots of trials and errors and muddy shoes, the locals were able to push us out of a ditch and safely back on our way. It was a 10-minute ordeal. 

Without them, we’d probably still be there. To us, this was a crazy car ride; for the locals, it was another Tuesday. This is one of many acts of unconditional kindness that we’ve experienced in Tanzania. We have been blown away by the hospitality and love given so freely by the people we have encountered. We are looking forward to the experiences we’ll have and people we’ll meet in our last week!

Cat & Ariana

Let It Shine

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Hello Family and Friends,

It’s hard to believe that we’re already halfway through immersion.

We just left Birmingham, Alabama and it was both heavily emotional and inspiring to be there. While we were there, we had the pleasure of working with BuildUP, an organization that gives low-income youth in Birmingham the skills and knowledge to revitalize their own community. Through paid apprenticeships and personalized education, the youth leave the program with a high school diploma, associate’s degree, and career-ready skills.

Our group had the opportunity to work on one of the housing projects in Ensley, which involved hanging dry-wall, mowing the overgrown lawn, and cleaning up the house. After working on the house for a few hours, we had lunch with some of the youth involved in the program and talked with them about their experiences. At the end of it all, even with our different and diverse perspectives, we were able to come together and express our gratitude for each other.

Later in the afternoon, we also had the chance of meeting with the mayor’s new Office of Peace and Policy. Our group was able to have a conversation with them about their vision of the future for civil rights work, as well as, their current view on Birmingham.

It was saddening to learn about how the state of Alabama has made it difficult for the city to make laws that aid in the civil rights movement. But, it was also encouraging to learn that they are still working hard to try to make changes despite all the hurdles set in front of them. Their hope for the better future also help encourage us to be hopeful too, especially with the passing of the highly aggressive anti-abortion bill happening so close to us.

The following day, we visited the 16th Street Baptist Church, an important landmark from the Civil Rights Movement. At 10:22 AM on September 15, 1963, a bomb went off on the east side of the church and four young girls were murdered.

Their names were Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson, and Denise McNair.

This event solidified the fact that not even children are exempt from the hatred, violence, and bigotry that exists in the world. The group facilitator at the church spoke of how even Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was speechless after hearing the attack and just sobbed.

What’s even more powerful was how even the world came together amidst this tragedy. The speaker spoke of how the citizens of Wales wanted to donate a mosaic portrait truly from the people. They gave the church a beautiful stain-glass window, depicting an African American Jesus. This was unprecedented in the South at the time due to extreme prejudice.

Today, we had the amazing opportunity of meeting with Wanda, a tour guide from the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church. From just our very short amount of time of meeting

 her, it was clear to all of us that she was heaven-sent.

Wanda greeted us with open arms and an open heart, sharing her love for music, humanity, and God. She spontaneously burst into singing “This Little Light of Mine” and we all joined her in this beautiful moment of unity.

 

Mississippi Goddamn

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Hi friends and family!

Here’s an update for y’all, a lesson we learned in Jackson, Mississippi was: Mississippi Goddamn! During the course over the last couple of days this has been an emotional journey, especially in Jackson. We started the morning by meeting with Habitat for Humanity. Here, Habitat for Humanity is a religious based organization with a white savior complex. We were introduced to the organization through a slideshow that misrepresented the targeted population by “need” being romanticized. Following the introduction, we were greeted with feelings of anger. This is because she began giving us the tour of her “saving the hood”, by making individuals prove to her that the homes are not handouts but something they have earned from her. She kept emphasizing the word “work” with the insinuation that the people who do not qualify for the homes are lazy or slumlords. At the end of her tour, she stopped mid-street to a show us where THE GATE would be placed. We as a group silently questioned, what does this mean? She was demonstrating economic segregation or in other words making a clear indication who are the haves and the have nots. After she observed our body language, continued to defend herself and actions by mentioning how much of a “SCREAMING LIBERAL” she was and basic information about systemic oppression as a way to impress us. The sad truth is that, this is what a progressive individual looks like in Mississippi who thinks they are aiding but doing more harm than good. So, to represent our frustrations, we dedicate the song by Nina Simone called, “Mississippi Goddamn” (click the link to hear the song), which was to show her frustrations with the lack of progress the state made during the Civil Rights Movement and to this day. This can be shown through the Mississippi state flag that is uncanny to the Confederate flag.

Signing off xoxo

Ashley and Destiny

Conversations with a Freedom Rider

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Happy Mother’s Day!

We celebrated this Sunday by going to Mass at Holy Family church in Jackson, Mississippi. The members of the church greeted us with open arms and smiles. We were touched by their welcoming, loving nature, and supportive community.

We were particularly touched when the church was giving acknowledgments, they were celebrating a recent graduate who was an active member of the church community. While they were remembering her time there she teared up and warmed the hearts of everyone present. Her family was also recognized and her parents graciously thanked the members of the church for supporting their daughter while she was away from home.

Later that day, we went to the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, which focuses on the Civil Rights movement within Mississippi. Starting our tour we had the incredible opportunity to meet Freedom Rider Claude Liggins. He talked with us about his experiences riding from New Orleans to Jackson and the conflicts that he faced. He welcomed questions and talked about what motivated him to become a Freedom Rider.

Talking to Mr. Liggins emphasized to us how important it is to vote because our voices matter and our generation is the one to create serious change. His insistence on our generation being a glint of hope made us feel a slight weight of pressure as well as an eagerness to catalyze change. His response to this was, “don’t ever think you can’t change the world.”

We learned that the Freedom Riders grew a strong sense of community by putting their lives on the line for something they felt was right. Mr. Liggins pointed out other Freedom Riders’ pictures and talked about them like old friends. It amazed us just how much they were all still connected. We also were surprised to learn that they have reunions that bring them together every several years.

Mr. Liggins points out his mug shot from when he was arrested as a Freedom Rider

As he showed us around the exhibits featuring the Freedom Riders, he expressed how it all took his breath away. He noted the progress made from the Civil Rights Movement, at the same time acknowledging how much still needs to be done when he said, “10 steps forward, 9 steps back.” His opinion on where we stand today shocked and saddened us because it showed us how much more there is to accomplish.

During our daily group reflection, we all agreed that learning about Mr. Liggins’ story and the vast number of students involved in the Freedom Riders inspired us to take action today. Hearing his story made us ask ourselves if a modern Freedom Rider-like movement started, would we drop everything and volunteer like he did? The day was filled with many lessons, among the most important was when Mr. Liggins mentioned that people referred to him as being a hero, although he doesn’t see himself as that. It wasn’t until later that we realized true heroes don’t see themselves that way.

Let’s do this!

Sam & Nico

Our Tanzanian Homestay Experience

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Jambo!

Over this past weekend we had the opportunity to have a home stay experience in various parts of the Kilimanjaro region. We split up into groups of two and three. Angie, Yeudith, and I were in the same group and paired up with a lovely family.

Our baba, Peter came to pick us up and brought us to his restaurant, located near the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro, where we stayed for the next two days. Everybody we met was so kind and welcoming, they truly made us feel a part of their family. Peter and his friends helped us with our Swahili and introduced us into his daily life.

On Saturday, we walked up to the gates of Mt. Kilimanjaro where we got a tour of the base and a beautiful view of the village.

Later in the day, our baba drove us to his home where we met his wife and two sons. His wife, Agnes cooked an amazing home cooked meal as we played UNO with the boys. She cooked us a meal, ndizi (banana stew), traditional to the Chaga people. The Chaga people live in the Mweka village. We got a glimpse into their daily life, which integrates a sense of brotherly love among all neighbors.

Driving down the muddy road, there was not a single person Peter did not acknowledge, from beeping his horn to pulling over for s short conversation. We passed an old woman whose conversation lasted a little longer than the others.

When we left, he explained that she was a life-long friend of his mother, so “There is never an appropriate time to pass her without saying hello and giving her shikamo.”

The next day we went to mass. Experiencing mass in a different country was quite interesting, especially since we didn’t understand much of the mass. The mass lasted a little over three hours and afterwards we ate lunch together.

After lunch we traveled back to the retreat center and shared our experiences with the rest of the team.

On Monday we will continue our Swahili lessons, can’t wait to see what else we learn! 

Kwaheri!

With love,

Angie, Yeudith, and Haley

We Have Arrived!

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After 2 days of travel we were received with generous hospitality by our hosts. We are staying at the Mwenge Retreat Centre with a breathtaking view of Mt. Kilimanjaro, though we haven’t seen it yet due to the clouds.  Our expectations have been totally blown out of the water. The incredible hospitality, amazing accommodations, and the warmth and kindness of everyone we have met so far has been overwhelming. We are taking it all in.

On our first day we toured Mwenge Catholic University (MWECAU) and met some MWECAU students who took us to the local market in the afternoon which was sensory overload, if not a bit challenging. We also visited Shah Industries, a family business that employs people with disabilities who are skilled artisans in many crafts with leather, wood, and other materials.  So many beautiful things to see and buy.

Today we focused on learning the local language of kiswahil with our excellent MWECAU professors and university student “rafikis” to help us practice. We laughed a lot as we stumbled over new words and phrases with plenty of embarrassing mistakes. 

 

We are off to Homestays for 2 days and will share about our experiences when we return.  

Kwaheri! 

Emmett Till: A Reminder of what Justice isn’t

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Dear loved ones,

The emotions have been running high today. We departed our beloved hostel in Memphis, Tennessee and left for the Emmett Till pilgrimage route which started in Money, Mississippi. As our immersion community grows closer, the impact of the powerful stories we are encountering seems to be touching our hearts on a different and deeper level.

The signs of inequity and injustice along racial and socioeconomic lines became immediately clear to us in Money as we worked our way down to the grocery store where the tragic story of 14-year old Emmett Till, the story that sparked a movement, began. We moved between several key locations where the brutal murder of Till and the following courtroom proceedings took place. Here are some of the reflections which came to mind during this life-changing pilgrimage:

As we drove from the grocery store to the  , eventually, we found ourselves on the banks of the Tallahatchie River where Till’s body was recovered. When he was found by a fisherman after his death, he had been inhumanely beaten, mutilated, and lynched. As we gathered by the banks of the river, a somber and beautifully reverent silence settled over us. Huddled together, we held the pain and injustice of Emmett Till’s story close as the rain continued falling upon us. 14 years of hope and potential and joy and innocence ended where we stood.

No one told us when it was time to leave; somehow, when we were called to, we did.

The last leg of the Emmett Till Pilgrimage ended at the courthouse in Sumner, Mississippi. There, we learned about the case in more detail, and the healing process that encompassed the town years later. We read an apology letter curated by 18 members of the community and took turns reading phrases aloud as a group. While the letter had the right intentions, during our reflection an important point was brought up. Apologies are great, but the paper can be torn up and the words can be lost in translation. Actions have far more accountability, and we as a nation need to begin tending to these wounds by actively fighting against injustice.

          

While emotions continue to run high, we are finding solace in each other and the commitment to justice we each hold. We’re staying at two separate Airbnb’s and have found a strong sense of community as we sing, reflect, and share stories. Everyone we have encountered in both Memphis and Jackson has shown us kindness, sincere generosity, and hospitality – they are the reason we keep moving forward.

In solidarity,

Sitara and Sophie