The
purpose of being in St.Thomas, Jamaica, is to learn how Jamaican music has
affected the American culture. While here we watched videos on the danger of
the “one story” and the video “Life and Debt”. We also toured Kingston, Jamaica,
and we did services at Yallahs High School. The three main things I am focusing
on are the services we did at Yallahs High School and Sankofa, the tour of
Kingston, and building a relationship with Yallahs students.
First, when arrived in St. Thomas, I
was so happy to be in Jamaica. As we settled in we were greeted by Dr. Nelson
Keith, Dr. Novella Keith and Brother Keith. Later, we went to Yallahs High
School to meet the group of students and teachers that we going to be work
with. When we first entered Yallahs High School, the students was look at us
and was asking where we were from. After being with the students of Yallahs for
a half of a day we all connected.
Later in
the week, we also visited a school called Sankofa Elementary School I never
knew that there was another Sankofa. After spending time with the scholars of
Sankofa, they remind me of the scholars of our Sankofa, being at Sankofa Elementary
School just made me feel at home.
 |
| Sankofa Servant Leader Scholars from Philadelphia, PA, USA at Sankofa Learning Center in Albion, St. Thomas, JA |
Second,
we went on a tour of Kingston, Jamaica.
We visited the National Gallery of Jamaica to see some art by a man
named Barrington Watson. His works of art was interesting. He is still living
and lives not too far for where we were staying in St. Thomas. Barrington’s
prints are wonderful. Bro. Keith took us to see one of the buildings he has
painted in Morant Bay. One of his paintings stood out to me, it was a painting
of a ghost name Samantha and he would see her in his backyard on the grass. He
told people that she had given somebody a baby. If somebody sees her, that means that they are
no good; he was only one that could see her. In his paintings of her, she would
look like a ghost and then she would start looking human. After we left the Gallery,
we rode on Orange Street and it reminded me of 52nd Street in Philadelphia.
We also
went to the Bob Marley Museum and I am glad a have had a chance to go. Before
the tour began we were walking around and we saw three of Bob Marley’s sons,
but we only got to take picture with two of them. I learned a lot about Bob Marley‘s
life that I didn’t know; Bob has 12 kids (on record), seven boys and five girls.
Marley was also named one of the most beautiful
men in the world. When we left and the museum closed, I noticed that his sons
would play football where their father Bob Marley played.
Thirdly,
hanging out with the students of Yallahs outside of school gave us a better
understanding of each other. We went to beach and Reich Falls and it was fun,
we danced together and taught each other our dances. When we got to Reich Falls
it was so beautiful to see the water fall off the rocks. I only time saw
something that beautiful was it on TV.
I looked
at the brothers and sisters of Yallahs as family because the connection we had
with them when we first come was so wonderful; it felt like we already knew
them for a long time. When we went to a party given by a Yallahs student was
funny. Briana and I learned new dances.
In conclusion,
being in Jamaica was a good opportunity to get a better look on life. The ways
the people live in Yallahs is different for where I grow up. Before I came to
Jamaica always through that there would be men walking around with guns in their
hands and little child walking around and running after car but when I got here
it wasn’t anything like I through it was going to be. Being here was greatest
thing in my 17 years of life I’m glad I had a chance to come to Jamaica, when I
get I’m tell my family and friends about the trip.
-Janee
Robinson
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