SOCA, Mount Students Attend Black History Tour in Westfield

Members of the Students of Color Affinity (SOCA) and other Mount students attended an impressionable and valuable field trip on March 19, sponsored by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Association in Westfield. Madeline Albrittain, World Languages Department Chairperson and SOCA Advisor, and Dr. Diana Artis, the Mount’s DEI Coordinator and CEO/Founder of Olive Branch Educators, served as chaperones.

 

According to their website, it is the mission of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Westfield “to keep the memory of Dr. King alive by focusing the community on the important tenets from the words and life of Dr. King.”

 

Mrs. Albrittain said, “Tour guides Robert Lombard and Brad Chananie led an enlightening and educational tour, guiding us to various historic sites where we learned about the remarkable contributions made by African Americans in Westfield.” They also met Elizabeth Wolf, President of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Association Executive Board.

 

“Our students made connections to their U.S History and English classes by seeing the former residences of Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston,” she said. “They also examined impacts of the Great Depression and the history of slavery in New Jersey by visiting Brightwood Park, formerly "Turkey Swamp" and Fairview Cemetery, respectively.”

 

When reflecting upon her experience, Uzoma Ononiwu ’27 said, "On this trip, I was reminded that history surrounds us every day. Seeing these sites so close to us at the Mount emphasized to me the importance of learning about and honoring the stories of those who have shaped our community."