Twelve students from our campus community came together over the two days and made an impact in the Springfield community while learning about the teachings and struggles of Dr. King as well as issues of social justice.
One of the most memorable learning activities was the creation of an "Archie Bunker Neighborhood," where the participants of the workshop were split into three different groups and given a fixed amount of money and supplies to build their neighborhood. Each neighborhood was confined to strict boundaries, enforced by a mayor, sheriff and deputy and each was subject to different levels of support or, in some cases, harassment.
Senior participant Samuel McLaren explained, "[This] activity aimed to develop an understanding of the consequences of segregation both on the individual and community levels. For this activity, I was the representative of the highly discriminated group and felt just a glimpse of what [Dr. King's life] felt like. There was a point where my group and I felt more comfortable in jail than we did in our designated community."
Aside from learning about the teachings and life of Dr. King, the participants worked with two different community organizations: The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts and The Children's Study Home.
Junior Kaylene Hersey said of working with The Food Bank: "From first sight, I thought there was enough food there to get me through a few years and yet, it wasn't enough to feed all of the people that needed it. This was such an eye opener to me."
Learning about the issues of food insecurity in the Springfield community was not the only significant part of Hersey's experience with the food bank.
"Once I saw the stacks of boxes we had filled in just an hour and a half, I knew we had made a difference. It was a good feeling, a really good feeling. I didn't expect it at all," she said.
On day two of the experience, participants were given the choice between returning to the Food Bank or working with a different community organization: The Children's Study Home.
"Although we didn't interact with the children, it was still an amazing experience. We repainted some of the rooms of the home and helped with some paperwork. The women [who work at the Study Home] that we worked with told us that we saved them $500 alone with that one day of painting," said Junior Jasmine Chatman. "This was a humbling experience because none of us are professional painters but we all worked together to achieve a goal that the Study Home really wanted and needed."
The weekend served as a learning experience and an excellent opportunity for service.
Chatman said, "This weekend was about giving back, no matter how big or small. One act of kindness, even if it's just painting a door or a bathroom, can make a huge difference."
McLaren encouraged students of the future to participate in this workshop: "Students should participate to give them a better realization of the struggles this country faced in the past and continues to face in the present. It is not only an educational experience but a motivating call to action for people to understand issues around social justice and to form opinions and develop a proactive stance against it."
Students sorting food at the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. Photo Credit: Koni Denham
Students planning and discussing a small budget for weekly groceries. Photo Credit: Koni Denham
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