Trip to Washington D.C.

I have traveled to the nation’s capital a few times in the 20 years that we have been in Walla Walla. The purpose has only been for professional meetings and speaking appointments. It has always been in-and-out. There has not been enough time (and to be truthful, not much interest) to see the sights/sites. Maybe, not making the time was due to the fact that I never studied American history (remember I’m from Jamaica – I know British history very well!), and there was not much in the traditional American history to tug at my heart strings. As you might imagine, for many African Americans and immigrants with roots in the Global South, much of the traditional history of the Global North is imperialistic and laced with servitude and its subsequent effects. But some things are changing, including the worldview of the “millennial” generation (my present University students), which has awakened appreciation for all the roots of my adopted home. One of the stimuli of this “awakening” was the election of an American President that broke the multi-century pattern. That election said to many of us, “this land is OUR land” – this history (all of it) is OUR history. The capital is not only represented by the slaves who built the structures, but by a President who lives in the chief structure.

Thus when our dear Caucasian friend, and history buff (both in traditional American as well as African American history), Lorraine Jacobs, desired to have one more thing checked off her “bucket list,” my wife, Violet, and I just had to join her – a decision that was one of the greatest in my 20-plus years in these United States. It was enhanced by being able to stay with our dear friends, Mayra and Dalton Malcolm, to visit with many former colleagues and friends, and to get a personal tour of the Justice Department by my niece and her husband, both of whom are in significant legal positions there.

The four days spent over the Labor Day weekend saw us walking an average of 10 miles daily. Thanks to my Congresswoman and one of the Senators from Maryland we were able to receive special passes to tour places such as the Houses of Congress, the Library of Congress, a concert at the Kennedy Center, and the White House. It was the day that President Obama made his famous speech to the school children in Virginia. We had just left his residence when he was returning. He and his motorcade passed within feet of us. We also that same day missed Justice Sotomayor’s appearance on the steps of the Supreme Court after her swearing in (we were next door on a tour of the Library of Congress). Other great moments during our sojourn there were our tours of the many Smithsonian museums, the Mall and its many monuments (Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson, etc.), and Arlington Cemetery (especially seeing the graves of the Kennedys, including the recently interred Teddy, and the breath-taking view of the city from the top of this memorial gardens). Yes, Labor Day weekend 2009, will be inscribed in my memoirs as unforgettable.

If you wish to have a pictorial view of our trip, click on this site: http://www.wallawalla.edu/campus-life/spiritual-life/gallery/trip_to_washington_d_c_2009