contents - Gallatin School of Individualized Study - New York ...

Mohamed JallohMOHAMED JALLOH Living in NYC20A Field Trip to theAfrican Burial Groundfrom the moment my English teacher, Mr. Beaird, told us about visiting theAfrican Burial Ground in Lower Manhattan, I was excited about the place,and I could not wait to get there.When we arrived at the African Burial Ground, I was astonished to see howlarge and attractive and well-organized the place is. The monument has many partsthat make it very beautiful. I was impressed also by the visitors’ center and thelibation chamber, where many of those brave ancestors’ skeletons were reburied.We were led by one of the monument tour guides, who explained that“the site was first discovered by some construction workers who were building agovernment site.” She said that “when the community learned the facts about thesite, they organized themselves and urged the government to stop the constructionin order to honor those brave and courageous slaves who sacrificed their lives forthe future of the United States.”When I got inside the visitors’ center, I walked all around and saw manyinformative exhibits. While I was reading, I heard an announcement about a moviethat was about to start. The teacher reminded us that the movie was about thehistory of the African Burial Ground. Watching that movie filled many gaps in myknowledge.When the trip was over, I was not as angry as before. It relieved my pain toknow this place was preserved for the world to see the struggles the slaves enduredduring their lifetime. It told their great-grandchildren that they did not give upbut served their country,where they newly belonged,in the best way they could.Visiting the African BurialGround made me feel a strongVisiting the African BurialGround made me feel aSTRONG relationship tothe black slaves . . .