Post from Lawrie Zhang

So far this trip has been very eye opening. When we went to the McLeod Plantation, I learned many things, but one interesting fact I learned was the psychological aspect of managing the plantations. The slave owners would bring in pastors to preach about obedience, twisting their messages so that they would make the slaves believe that it was their duty and purpose to serve their masters. Being a psychology major, I thought that this was very interesting, because I never thought much about the psychological aspects of slavery. 

At the Old Slave Mart Museum, I learned that the history of slavery was further back than I realized. I also learned about the huge sugar industry in the Caribbean, which was something I was unaware of. In our discussions back at the hotel, we discussed about how in history textbooks, we don’t really learn the whole history of slavery, and often only the civil rights movement is discussed extensively. Periods of time get skipped over, especially the Reconstruction period. This made me even more thankful that I was able to come on this trip to learn. 

When we went to Mother Emmanuel AME Church, I was in awe of how beautiful the church was. I enjoyed service, and the music really moved me. I could feel that the community was really tight-knit and full of energy. 

So far, I’ve learned a lot on this trip, and I look forward to what’s to come!