Wednesday, July 4 – A culture I always knew, but never gave it credit.
On this 11th day in Jamaica it is hot; we are fighting to get in front of the fan or by the window to feel a breeze. Our energy is high and positive because after 11 days we finally got to wash our clothes. However, we are hit with the reality that it is July 4th; in the land of the free, red, white, and blue will be the color scheme for every cookout. Entire families will be gathering together to celebrate American independence with grills and gossip. In Jamaica, we will be having a different kind of celebration. An exchange of cultures, where both our students and the young women at Mary’s Child will represent America and Jamaica, respectively, with pride. Let me take you through the presentations.
First up were our 13 students, at the young women’s insistence. Sidebar, although I came here with four students, they have all become my sons in this 11 day period. From laughter to late night games to long days, I love each of them. Back to the presentations. The students presented on history, pop-culture, and schooling in DC. I have to let you know they did the work all on their own with no assistance from their four chaperones. For the history section, the students set a scene in a history classroom. The teacher (Mr. Rome) goes through a review for their “final history exam.” The scene is infused with misbehavior, calls to a security guard (Guard Rahlek), parent phones calls (mother played by yours truly), and calls to the principal (Mr. Mike). Even with all the disruptions, students answered questions about American history from the establishment of DC as the capital to the importance of the Washington Monument.
The students then connected their presentation to the next group’s by integrating pop-culture as a “presentation” in Mr. Rome’s classroom. They confidently spoke about DC fun facts, music, food, and slang. They let the young women know that in DC the Carryout is the place to go, Go-go music is the anthem, and you need to know slang words like jhi-like (which I never knew how to spell), moe, and tough. The students ended their presentation expressing their pride in their schools with a competition called B.O.T.S. (Battle of the Schools.) They let it be known that their school had AP classes, IB courses, excellent sports, and Tier 1 status. It was cute for everyone to represent their school, but all I can say is PIRATESSS!! (I’m a teacher at Paul PCS).
Now it was Jamaica’s turn to represent… and that they did. I was excited for this portion because when the young women are presenting I get to hold one of their beautiful babies. The presentation started with explaining the seven heroes of Jamaica, the national food (ackee and saltfish), the national tree (blue mahoe), the flag (we all know what the Jamaican flag looks like), and the national motto (“Out of Many One People.”) In the exchange, the ladies taught our students some slang that I am sure they’ll be practicing tonight to use tomorrow, horribly. They taught us Jamaican dances, some I was lucky enough to know, such as willy bounce, gully creepa, no linga, and fling. Upon the students’ demand, though I was shy, I did the no linga with one of the girls presenting.
Lastly, the women paid tribute to one of their seven heroes, Nanny of the Maroons through poetry and song, wearing cultural garments. We ended the day eating Jamaican food: dumplings, breadfruit, ackee and saltfish, mackerel in coconut milk, and plantains. It was definitely different from the celebrations we are used to on the Fourth of July, but a celebration it was.
What is most nostalgic for me about this trip is a lot of the Jamaican culture I knew as a child but never gave credit to or truly appreciated. Growing up in Brooklyn, NY, Jamaican culture is weaved through every street corner, restaurant, and party, but I never truly realized how much of Jamaica was in Brooklyn. I am coming to understand the vibrancy and pride that has bloomed from Brooklyn as loving and investing in Jamaican culture. I am realizing that the music I love and the food I eat comes from a country I am in for the first time in my life. For me, this trip is not only about teaching the kids to take pride in their culture, but also about allowing myself to appreciate the roots.
Ms. Jazmine Gaudet, Teacher at Paul Public Charter School