Thoughts Before Leaving Dakar, Senegal....

On my way to JFK and I must say it feels great to go back to my city even if it is just the airport. Overall the trip was definitely an experience to remmember. IT helped me manage my time even more and ask the right questions. It also helped me to open my eyes and appreciate everything I have even if it doesn't seem like much. Today I ate a meal, but how many people- men, women and children got to eat a meal today? When I get back to school for the summer session, I will be able to take a hot shoer with the lights on (hopefully). Electricity is something we take so lightly at least until the bill comes. however, lets continue to talk abotu school. We are going back to or have recently graduated rom a place where we can buy books from the bookstore. Those books are expensive, but imagine having to share that one book with 699 other people. 700 people to one book? I cannot imagine. I don't want to and nine times out of ten I will not have to. I think JCSU should have a book drive for the students at that University. We as people take so much time to complain about what we don't have and what we could have and we do not realize how much we do have. Those students love to go to school and continue to go simply because knowledge is power. Many people do not understand the meaning behind that phrase, but it means so much more now that I have gotten to experience Africa. -Portia S. Rouse

Goree Island in Senegal

Dr. Hemmy asked the student’s in the Study Abroad Program to expound on what we know about slavery via what we’ve learned through history, school, and our perceptions. My personal view of slavery is that it was an inhumane, hateful, and exploitive series of events that occurred in our history, resulting in psychological and mental damage can still be seen in people of African descent. Hundreds of thousands of people were taken from their families¸ and homes and forced into servitude. The rest is history I don't think I need to repeat known knowledge, no one group of people has the right to enslave and or force their opinions on another group of people. As a child my parents always enforced the importance of being proud of the fact that I ‘am a descendant of Africa (I don't like using the term "African American" because Africa is a continent and not a country). I grew up in South Carolina and I remember visiting the slave markets in Charleston and feeling a connection and a sense of sadness, I would hear stories about Goree Island but I never thought I would ever get the opportunity to visit there. Once in Africa when my group and I were on the boat I remember telling Dr. Hemmy "This is such a beautiful island! I would never want to leave." and Dr. Hemmy said she wanted to know how I would feel at the end of the day after the tour. When we toured the slave house I did not expect myself to get as emotional as I did (I'm a cry baby)¸ as we toured the small impersonal stone holding cells the reality of what some of the inhumane conditions that my ancestors had to endure set in mentally. Standing in the door way of no return was honestly the most haunting experience. The island is beautiful, the people there are nice and hard working and I feel as if that experience has changed my thought process and I have a deeper connection to my heritage. 
Asya

Bittersweet

Little by little the room begins to empty out
my heart is filled with joy and yet so much doubt
of weather I truely wish to leave is land
for I have come to love it and for all it stands
for its people who skin is dark as oil
for its planes so rich on which they toil
for the friendships that I have come to form
in this small room now so empty and forlorn.
-Nawal Bakheit

Thoughts (of POLITICAL SCIENCE GRADUATE) on slavery: visit to Goree Isalnd

(Assignment: write our thoughts on slavery-anything in parenthesis is to create context)
I had asked Dr. Sy(our guide) how he felt about the Chinese being in Senegal and what that would mean

He replied that they were here for business and that at the end of the day

There was still corruption in Le Government Senegalé

We came to the conclusion that authority was the issue

(I later realized)

Authority can only be so if it is legitimized and supported 

How can a small few control the masses if not by control of the resources?

(what we should all realize)

We are the laborers with the harvesting capacity

1st contact

We can only allow some to control the resources if they control humanity

US

We are the most powerful, competent, and capable resource available

That is slavery

(how is this possible you ask?)

Greed is the root of all evil, the desire to possess more than the basic necessities for a comfortable life

We are willing to kill, cheat, and lie

Just so that we can get by

And look better then the next fly guy

Some may say that i sound like a communist

But how can that be

When all I speak to is equality?
-Nawal Bakheit

The University of Cheik Anta Diop, May 12

We headed to the University of Chiek Anta Diop to be matched with our mentors/partners to escort us througout Senegal as we set out upon our reserach for our projects. I am researching the cultural and historical differences between African Literature and American Literature, as well as the differences between Africans and Black Americans. While we were thier, we listend to various presentations of the make-up of Senegal and its cultural backrounds, We also listened to some presentations that answered our questions for our research project. A professor by the name of Ibrahima Wane was a source for my topic; he specializes in African Literature and African History. He discussed literary eras in Africa, he talked about Griots, the Negritude Movement, as well as the mindstate of the African writer becasue of colonialism. This day was long and busy, yet very informative.

Touba May 14

We set of for Touba early in the morning to visit the Mosque, which was very beautiful. Not only did I find this interesting but i really liked how the Mosque had three of their leaders--who added onto the Mosque over the years--burial sites within the Mosque itself. Each chamber was a different color: green, purple, and blue. It is tradition that women do not wear pants only skirts.We had to take our shoes off and OMG the marble floors were hot. When I looked around, I noticed that the people of Touba were used to the hot marble floors. I suppose it is not surprising because they are used to the weather, and all that comes with it, due to he fact that they were raised here. We visited a Marabout who, religious wise, is well respected in the Muslum community and in the works of the Qur'an. Men walked in, got on one knee and kissed his hand; this man has so much respect. I only see things like this in movies.

--Asia Mapp

First Time For Everything ; Tijani

Yesterday we visited the head leader of Tijani, Sheikh Mouahamadou Mahy Cisse’s home. Tijani is a group of brotherhood. Before entering the Tijani’s home a custom was to remove shoes before entry. We were greeted and by the brothers and given drinks as a sign of welcoming. Sheikh Mouahamadou Mahy Cisse explained how Tijanian brotherhood played a significant role after independence. In Kaolack, the Magrabou plays the role of social services to the community as helping people with personal, family, community, and financial needs. The Tijani have a school, in which have 400 students. The school has boarding as an option for parents to choose for student to reside at the school. The school teaches K5-12th grade. The Tijani brotherhood also feed us lunch before we left. During lunch there were four platters, where 15 people shared off the SAME platters.

- Laquilla Smith