October 16, 2024

Bridging histories in the American South

What if learning about the American South meant building bridges to both the past and the future? Instead of merely skimming the surface of history, what if you could dive deep, discovering the connections between place, community and the resilience born from oppression? What if history became personal, revealing the stories of beloved communities shaped by struggle?

This past summer, the University of Washington Honors Program, in partnership with the Community Engagement and Leadership Education (CELE) Center, offered an immersive “study away” experience that delivered on this vision of learning.

Led by community partner Sankofa Impact, students embarked on a four-week bus journey across 10 states in the South. Through “Honors American South: Foundations of Black Culture, Social Movements and Collective Liberation,” they explored the legacies of enslavement, racial terror, civil rights, mass incarceration and contemporary abolition activism — making history a shared, living narrative.

Upon returning, Vice Provost and Dean Ed Taylor, who co-taught the course, reunited with two of the students, CELE program alum LeVera Brown, ’24 (communications major and diversity minor), and Honors Program student Zoe Hesselroth, ’25 (nursing major), to reflect on the moments that shaped their journey and the lasting impact it had on their understanding of history and identity.

Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Ed Taylor: LeVera, Zoe, it’s great to see you both! The last time we met was in Houston after our trip to Galveston [in Texas]. What inspired you to join this journey to study liberation and race in America?

LeVera: This trip was personal for me. As a Black American, it’s deeply connected to my history. With much of my family still in the South, I felt compelled to learn about their realities — stories they may not have shared. Experiencing our history in an immersive way was important. Standing in those places, walking the same paths and touching the things they touched made it all the more significant for me. I knew I had to be there to understand my roots and the efforts of those who came before me. As it was my senior year, I was determined to explore what this history means for my future.

Zoe: Nursing influenced my decision to join this trip. I’m passionate about public health nursing and believe it’s crucial to understand the communities we serve and the historical context of racism. I wanted to learn more about the cultural aspects of these communities and build trust with my future patients. Understanding their experiences, including those of modern foot soldiers and their struggles, was important to me. Plus, this was my first trip to the South, which pushed me outside my comfort zone.

Ed: Community engagement matters to you also. Why was that a compelling part of this course?

LeVera: Community engagement is very important to me. I’ve done a lot of work at the Othello-UW Commons in South Seattle, serving local residents, Huskies, staff and community partners. We create a space for collaboration and support. My upbringing has centered on community, activism and social justice, making engagement a core part of my life. On this trip, I wanted to explore the roots of community engagement within the Black American community — understanding how it began and its foundational methods. That was crucial for me.

Interdisciplinary learning

Ed: Can you share how this trip aligns with the values of the Honors Program?

Zoe: First, it’s interdisciplinary, connecting different aspects of history and various spheres of education. We definitely saw that on our trip—exploring environmental justice, economic justice and how these issues relate across history and in the modern day.

The Honors Program is about empowering you to take action and be part of the change you want to see. During the application process, we were asked about social issues we wanted to work on and how our experiences informed that. A theme that kept emerging on our trip was the importance of not leaving behind what we learned but actually applying it to influence our future actions. That sense of application and connection to our backgrounds felt very much in line with the Honors Program.

Community legacies

Ed: Describe a place that tells a significant story. What was your experience and connection to it?

Zoe: Burnell’s grocery store in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans! After Hurricane Katrina, Burnell, a veteran, used his life savings to fill the neighborhood’s need for a supermarket. [The impacts of the hurricane] had forced residents to travel two hours for essentials. His store offers fresh produce, canned goods and a small restaurant, while also providing job opportunities for locals.

Walking in, you can feel the love — murals, positive messages and music create a true community hub. What started as a grocery store has evolved into something much greater. You can really feel that. Burnell’s uplifting spirit inspires others to pursue their dreams, even if they don’t know how to start. He believes in facing fears, he reminded us that “you can’t let fear control you, you must keep moving forward.”

LeVera: I loved the moment we had in Galveston at the Nia Cultural Center. Our tour guide showed us a brick wall covered with fingerprints left by enslaved people. It had been concealed in cement for years; no one even knew it was there. Then one day the cement fell off. Our tour guide mentioned this as a metaphor: the truth will always be revealed, no matter how many ways you try to cover it up.

Zoe: That felt surreal. We stepped outside after learning that enslaved people built those bricks and left their fingerprints behind. Yet, across the street, a gift shop sells T-shirts in a former slave market. This contrast highlighted how history is often overlooked, how the suffering and contributions of those who built this place aren’t being acknowledged. I had many of these “whoa” moments throughout the trip.

Ed: While there’s a lot of tourism, your guide wanted to take you deeper, sharing the history behind the place. It was clear that you were there to learn, making a distinction between just passing through as a tourist and positioning yourselves as truly present, wanting to understand and feel the history. It was powerful to witness how you all engaged with that moment.

Trust is the currency

Ed: When I think about a collection of strangers traveling together on a bus for a month through the South, it’s easy to imagine potential conflicts. Yet, so much went right. What do you think kept your group united? Was there something that helped you share those experiences and stay connected? 

Zoe: Care and respect were crucial for us. We were discussing tough subjects, and it hit harder for those with personal connections to the history. Checking in on each other and genuinely caring about everyone’s well-being made a big difference. Trusting each other’s authenticity and intentions helped create a supportive environment.

It was also important to find moments of joy amidst the heaviness. Those times when we would break out in laughter on the bus really helped strengthen our bond. They were nice moments that kept us connected.

LeVera: We definitely had a lot of those moments of joy! As we were going through heavy topics we were always there for each other. As you mentioned, we did regular check-ins, asking questions like, “Hey, how are you feeling?” Those moments really went a long way for us.

Ed: Two words at the heart of this course: collective liberation. What does this concept mean to you now?

LeVera: Having experienced and learned everything we have, my view of collective liberation has expanded significantly. I believe that collective liberation starts within yourself, and I now understand that everyone has something to contribute to it. That collective liberation can take many forms, but you need to liberate yourself in order to support the liberation of others. It’s challenging to define freedom if you don’t even know what it feels like for you.

Zoe: When I think about collective liberation, the concept of people power stands out. Establishing trust in the community is crucial. Collective liberation happens on multiple levels — economic, environmental and more. It’s a process that unfolds over time. We need to recognize the foot soldiers of the past and learn from them while looking at those actively contributing today. We can play a part in it. I also think about Afrofuturism, envisioning a future and considering where we can go from here.

Ed: Where do we go from here? When you travel and hear stories of history, trauma and challenges, it’s easy to get weighed down by that heaviness. Yet, you both have emerged with a sense of joy. What gives you hope in light of the history you’ve encountered?

LeVera: What gives me hope is the people we met and their stories. It’s striking to realize that civil rights workers were often teenagers, people in their early 20s, fighting for change and being boundless. Their passion and achievements fill me with hope. If they could accomplish so much despite their challenges, I have a responsibility to carry that baton forward. They never gave up, which is why I’m where I am today.

During our trip, many people emphasized that we can’t let progress slide backward. They said things like, “We’ve worked too hard. It’s your turn now; you need to fight because things are serious.” This consistent message made me realize the importance of staying engaged. They would say, “You can do this. You can do that. You’re a creator.” Their belief in us gives me a lot of hope, too.