“What A Wonderful World” By Jake Hollin

What a Wonderful World may seem like a peculiar title for a blog post as we near the end of our trip but the more I thought about it, nothing could be more apropos in many ways.

Historically, when Louis Armstrong released the ballad in 1967, I don’t know if he meant it to be akin to MLK’s I have a Dream Speech, certainly there was less aplomb attached. But it many ways, to me, it signifies a part of the Movement. It was not well promoted for the time, may not have fit in to a lot of narratives on either side, and much like many of the Movements tenants, it was accepted with greater veracity on foreign soil. But it has sustainably. It was not easily dismissed, and it went on to be a siren call for what ‘could be’.

It also was poetic that Satchmo, an iconic Jazz artist, released it when it was really the age of soul and funk. A true, if not symbolic, passing of a musical torch was occurring. Today, it has been covered by just about anyone and everyone you can think of. And much like the melodic notes it carries, it gently challenges all of us to remember … we may still not be there yet. It does though describes a vision. Isn’t that one thing we can all control in tumultuous times, the way we see that things could be. It’s encouraging.

On our trip, we have seen the worst of humanity. Hatred, bigotry, and injustice in the form of linguistic diatribes, physical terrorism, and perhaps the most guile… visceral and belittling assaults upon the conscience and psyche of entire generations. And yet we have also seen some of us at some of our best. We see strength, and dignity, and grace, … and still we sing …like the Freedom Riders, Foot Soldiers, and the Forever Iconic Heroes before us … still we sing, What a Wonderful World!

It’s been wonderful to see, to hear, and to learn about both the extraordinary and the “ordinary who did the extraordinary” throughout the Civil Rights Movement. I’ve been both inspired and encouraged by those brave women and men who stood up to oppression and injustice, held tight to their faith and their friends, and rose in support of equity and human rights … What a Wonderful World!

We’ve had the opportunity to visit the physical locations that housed both tragedies and triumphs. We’ve been challenged to look at the surrounding space and place. Being physically present in these locations gave substance and gravitas to the well known stories of our past. Like it or not, we now have an obligation after treading the same hallowed ground strided on by those that came before us to tell these stories. And, just as important, we’ve had opportunities to discover lesser known stories and places that housed those stories. What a Wonderful World!

For me, having both the blessing and challenge of joining the trip at the last moment, I didn’t know exactly what to expect. Literally I was on the phone with Tsipy and Kate one Sunday and I was on a plane the next Sunday – thanks to a generous grant from the Klein foundation that supports my school and human rights work back in Maryland. They are amazing! A special thank you to Tsipy, Kate, Ellen, and Jackie for helping me get here. Your passion for the work you do and the connections you help people make is inspiring. And also a special thank you to Kate, Mike, and Sam for your leadership on the trip. Your passion for educating and helping others learn from the past is both beautiful and palpable. I can honestly say in my 30 plus years of teaching this has been one of my top professional development experiences. Ever.

And a final thank you for those who I had the privilege to share my trip with… all of you… thank you! You are an inspiring group of educators and learners. Students, faculty members, administrators, and community workers all teaching and learning together from one another – it was beautiful! In the short time we shared, I really came to appreciate and love you all. As Margaret Mead once said “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” We are the ‘extraordinary ordinary’ just like so many we learned about.

As most of you know and or saw, I’m particularly fond of the past time of walking. There’s a lot of allegorical prose I weave in and out of my consciousness that range from practical to symbolic when I walk. Mostly I am just thanking God for blessing me with my amazing wife, incredible daughters, a really good life, and another day to keep up right. But I also listen to music, podcasts, books, and videos. Many I’ve added fresh from this excursion. In this journey there were so many parts of the trip that spoke to my walking feet. So of course that leads me to one of my favorite quotes of the era from Dr. King

“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”…

So I’m left with that same beautiful melody and also a question… what makes this a Wonderful World? You do. They did. We will. The opportunity for one more day to keep moving forward, to walk (or fly or crawl on), and to join with like minded individuals to work collectively and do the good we can, while we can.

I am ready to return to my people back home (I mostly miss my wife and daughters). But I’m ’armed’ with energy and encouragement, new knowledge and experience, and a much greater appreciation and admiration than I could describe. I’m ready to collaborate and to think of new and inspiring ways to share a very old and faithful message … to be good and do good!

Thank you all for a great trip… what a wonderful world!

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