New Canaan Country School American South 2022

April 25, 2022

Hey fellow NCCSers!

Today was a great start to the trip! We are going to be giving a detailed recap on today’s activities. Everyone started off with a nice and easy 3:45am wake-up followed by a spectacular bus ride to JFK airport. After a smooth plane ride, we took a short but sweet visit to the one and only Tree of Life! It’s a giant oak tree at Audubon Park in the Garden District of New Orleans.

We then took a pit stop at Mahony’s Po-boy restaurant and re-fueled for our visit to the Whitney plantation, which tells the history of the plantation through the eyes of the enslaved people who were forced to work there. At the plantation, we learned about the history of slavery and details of day-to-day life as an enslaved person. We saw things like living quarters, jail cells, and horrible work conditions on this sugar cane planation. It was really surprising and saddening the conditions that these human beings had to live in. We reflected on our thoughts and emotions of the plantation after our exploration. We connected what we saw to topics that we will explore on the rest of the trip like the civil rights movement and racial justice in our country today.

We headed back to New Orleans where we explored Magazine Street before a great dinner at Dat Dog where we finished off the day by indulging in some both nutritious and tasty alligator dogs! Goodnight everyone and be prepared for another action packed day tomorrow exploring New Orleans!!!

April 26, 2022

First thing in the morning, you know some of us felt tired but we pushed through that 06:30 wake up call. In cabin 9 specifically, Matt F.’s alarm invaded our peaceful dreams as the sound of a siren made us sit up straight in bed. After leaving to downtown New Orleans and getting some beignets, our tired legs pushed through all the walking of the day. With our legs just twigs being dragged along a stone path, our hearts opened up to the passionate words of our tour guide Malik. After a great tour with Malik we went to a famous fried chicken spot called Lil Dizzys. After eating some famous fried chicken we went to an art gallery called Studio BE. They had some spectacular art which we enjoyed. With a lot of power behind it. Those words perfectly transitioned into our conversation with Nia and inviting our peers beyond the stopping point of our comfort zone. I will not forget to mention shopping in the French Quarter. At around 18:30, we let music run through our blood and taking over, forming a delicate feeling of belonging and well-being. Our guides to this paradise were Xavier and Baba, the two who shared their wisdom with the power of song.

By Daniel M. and Brendan B.

April 27, 2022

Today we started off bright and early for a nice six hour drive away from New Orleans through Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Now along the way we made some stops for some amazing food at Lannie’s BBQ in Selma, Alabama. There we walked across the Edmond Pettus bridge just like John Lewis and the freedom fighters did when they led a historic Civil Rights March from Selma to Montgomery in the fight for voting rights. Later we hopped back in the van towards Montgomery where went on to sit by the Alabama river to watch the sunset and eat some yummy food like fried chicken, collard greens and catfish. Overall a very calm day, but definitely a time to remember hanging out with our friends!

By Jack F. and Layla K.

April 28, 2022

We started off the day with a wonderful hotel breakfast. We then grabbed our stuff and got ready for the Legacy museum where we learned about the connections between the history of enslavement, the fight for civil rights and the justice system we have today. We reflected on our experience in the museum and then to lighten the mood a little bit we headed over to Plant Bae where we enjoyed a wonderful Southern vegan meal. We walked around for a bit then headed to the Legacy Memorial to commemorate the deaths of people who were violently killed or lynched. We then walked over to where church Dr. King was a pastor, as well as the former white house of the confederacy, the Sothern Poverty Law Center and the Alabama state capitol building with it’s surrounding confederate statues. We walked down to the square where we learned some information about the site where enslaved people were sold in Montgomery in the city center. We headed over to Chris’ hotdogs which is a significant restaurant in the history of Montgomery. We ended the day off by watching the local baseball team play, the Montgomery Biscuits.

-Chris S. and Annie B.