Pictures and More Pictures

Tomorrow is our last day at Esperanza. It has been "wicked awesome". Today we planted the last of some 60 plants, loaded the last of a 10 foot pile of dirt and rocks, and painted another area. We also finished doing laundry. Two unexpected encounters happened. Early this AM the person living in the house next to Esperanza come out. He had been watching our work for two days. He joined us in the alley, picked up a shovel and began to clean up with us. Making things beautiful is contagious! Then this afternoon an Indian gentleman came over and asked us what we were doing. LaShonda and I talked to him for a while and his eyes welled up with tears. "I have lived here for ten years. I have never seen anyone come to help us." We went back up stairs and when we returned to work he showed up with a plate of brownies. He could not thank the kids enough. Our scripture lesson tonight was the Mustard Seed.

All of our encounters have not been as pleasant. We have had a store owner slam the door to the coke case and explain that people hide bottles under their shirts. We have been charged more than the price on the product and then when we questioned it been told that the price was wrong on the package. We have even had an encounter with a Rhode Island State Trooper in which he was about as rude and inappropriate as a police office can be. This was actually a serious incident and so I want to share it in its entirety.

After leaving DC we were delayed in traffic around NYC. As a result we found ourselves in Rhode Island about 6 PM and hungry. We stopped at a Wendy’s. They were out of several products but we got enough to eat and sat down. Then three Black teenage girls came in and went to the counter. Soon we began to hear raised voices. Our guys wanted to stand up to see what was happening but we encouraged them to finish eating. Then out of nowhere two state troopers came in from either side of the restaurant. Then two more came in. Then a fifth came in and approached one of our young girls. He wanted to know who she was and what she had done. Her answer was polite and accurate – his sarcastic. By the second sentence I had crossed the room and inserted my body between the officer and my youth member. I introduced myself and offered to answer his questions. He wanted to know why I came over and I said “Because I do not want you to talk to my children.” Upon which he told me that he would talk to whomever he pleased. Then there was a sort of standoff. I did not say anything but I did not move either. The officer finally walked away and Lessie and the others ushered the children out of the door and onto the bus and we left.

Once on the bus and settled we talked for a long time about what happened. The young people were able to see the role of prejudice and power in the encounter and to name the ways in which the officer had acted inappropriately. They also named the way in which the other girls at the counter were rude and aggressive. I have never been prouder of a group of young people. They acted with poise beyond their years. The next evening the adults had time to do some process also. One of the learnings is that experiencing what it is like to be singled out, profiled, and intimidated is not familiar to white people in the same way as it is for people of color. We shared the fear and the anger together and it just made us more committed to the work that we are about. I have not ever worked with a more dedicated, wise, and compassionate group of adults. And the kids are pretty cool also.
I know that we will have much more to talk about in the weeks and months to come. For now we are looking forward to building a picnic table tomorrow and meeting Bishop Gayle who will bless the garden. Then it is on to Cambridge and Boston for the weekend. Tomorrow a couple of the guys will add their posts. Thanks of for reading our stuff.
Jane+