Living the Legacy

I recently visited a high school that had been a favorite of mine dating some years back. I hadn’t been to the school in about 4 years or so and was extremely excited to be returning. During the previous years when I was visiting the school, there was a very organized and active population of African-American Students on the campus. Each year that I visited I always tried to bring them something new, something different. One year I brought a griot from Guinea West Africa with me to play music and talk with them about the connections between Africa and African-Americans. Another year I bought some young drummers and dancers. And still another year I brought a friend of mine who had been jailed with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement back in the 60′s.

Each of those years is indelibly imprinted in my memory.

On the day I was scheduled to appear at the high school it felt like a homecoming. The only difference was that many of these students I had never encountered before. The students whom I had worked with during the previous years have all graduated.

When I got to the school I was greeted with the same warm affectionate smiles and hugs that I remembered from previous years by my liaison, Lynn. This woman is one of those silent beautiful people in our community whose quiet, unassuming work has transformed the lives of so many of our youth.

Lynn had a small cadre of young women working around her, helping to set up the auditorium for my performance. I later found out that these young women were the governing body of their campus’ “Organization of African American Unity.” You know that put a big grin on my face that expands every time I think about it.

These young women were articulate, diligent and well organized. I was pleasantly surprised. You know sometimes what we tend to expect of our youth. I apologize, I often fall victim to making some of the same misguided generalizations about our teen population.

Anyway, the performance went well. The most active participants and people seated in the front rows were the young women of the school. There was one front row that went entirely empty and yes, I made sure to speak on this as symbolic of a journey backwards.

I felt like we opened up a dialogue which I hope that they continue among themselves. I was very happy when Lynn informed me that they were using aspects of the performance for other activities that they had planned for Black History Month.

After the performance I had the opportunity to gather with the young women, take pictures and converse for a few minutes. They are my daughter’s age and I felt a special place in my heart for them. They expressed how they had been conversing among themselves about the lack of an organization to represent their culture on campus. Since there was none, these four young women decided to create something.

Can you see me jumping up and down right about now? Well I am!

These four young women didn’t sit around bemoaning the fact that something didn’t exist, they purposefully and consciously went about making something happen.

They had such humility in telling their story of creating a cultural organization on their campus that it reminded me of being in the presence of some of the great women of our struggle. I tried to express this to them but I’m not sure I was able. I tried to let them know that they are, by doing what they are doing, they are living the legacy of previous generations. I was so excited I think I mixed and jumble my words into incoherent passages. But Lynn knew what I was talking about. She gave me an affirming smile and spoke about how much pride she had in these young women.

When I travel to schools I am always looking for inspiration. These four young women inspired me and I will be talking about them for a long time to come. They officially made Gahr High School my favorite high school once again. I can’t help it; I am and will always be proud when our children live the legacy of our forbearers.

They are why I do what I do