Symposium

As I drove along the road that eventually reached the Lee Plantation, the experience of mixed emotions overwhelmed my thoughts. What was I to encounter? Who would be there? How many of my ancestors travelled where I am now standing?

The reality of where I was and whose footsteps that I am in created in me a humbling experience. The meeting of my fellow seminarians was as exciting as the trip here. The essence of seeking and searching was met with addresses from Phil and Noreece. WOW!! This was the only expression that my mind was able to deliver as the words, pictures, graphs, and other details related to slavery were displayed.

How fortunate am I to be here. How fortunate am I to sit and learn amongst great scholars. As I prepare to attend the reception and the dinner, I gaze outside and begin to imagine life on the plantation. The sun is setting, the chill is in the air, and the fog begins to rest among the trees. What a humbling experience this is for me.

Do I dare imagine what my ancestors did at this hour? Do I dare take comfort in this bed in this room not knowing the comfort or anxiety that may have been experienced so many years before? Do I now hold the torch of life that must be passed on to other generations?

~Jeryl K. Scott, Ed.S