These past two days have been enlightening so to speak. I’ve really got a better understanding of what Jill Williams and Ed Whitfield mean to Greensboro and the Truth Commission and the passion they have of their profession. I’m heading back to Raleigh, NC right now and have much to ponder over.

The GTRC, how has it impacted Greensboro? It has, whether you like it or not, it has changed some minds of individuals in Greensboro, and continues to be a beacon of community outreach that strives for truth and discussion.

The report is a road-map for other communities to gather information and have a community discussion that will help heal some of the underlining problems that eat away at the fabric of the community. This whole trip was about how Brown University can better understand it’s ties to slavery and how to use their own report to impact the greater Providence area with the findings.

Jill and Ed led a cerebral discussion about how the students can use the report to help spread the message. How they can make it easier for every day Brown students to read the report and understand the ramifications that slavery had on the community and how it still does. That is a discussion I had the privilege to sit in and digest the discussion.

I had some suggestions:

• Start a blog. Take excerpts from the report and write about the impact it had on your mind and what it means to the present community. Get other students involved in the discussion.
• Bring the idea to the art department. Talk to some professors to see if anyone is interested in making this a class project to transform the information that the report describes to art…Whether that be paintings, performance art, poetry, music, even film. Make a call out to students of Brown University and see if they respond.
• Get on the campus radio station. The station is for the students and I’m sure there is a way to get the message broadcast to the rest of the campus. Hold discussions just like we had in the room with students, faculty and even the president of Brown University. If the President of Brown University was the one who wanted this report out for the campus to react and respond to it I’m sure she would do anything in her power to help get the message out there. If you can’t get on the radio, create a podcast that will get you more exposure than the campus. Post anywhere you can on campus where people can find the podcast and encourage involvement.

Those are just some ideas that filled my head and thought how they can spread the wealth of information to the rest of the campus. I know it is a difficult topic to discuss but it is essential for Brown University to embrace the report and understand the significant findings together as a campus.

The last two days will stay with me for quite some time, reflecting and enjoying the memories. The greatest experience this weekend was the interaction with the students. Whether it’s Brown University or UNCG when you get in front of peers with like-minded interests and create and environment where we can have an honest conversation about our passion is a great positive environment.

Thanks for the invite.