Jamaica Week 4 - Last week

Marcia --Assistant to the Director of Student Services and Development

Mr. Lowrie -- Manager of Irving Hall

Grace -- Director of UWI Sports Dept

Dr. Reynolds - Director of Student Services

Donna Mae - Manager of Rex Nettleford Hall

I have re-transitioned back to the USA --> Atlanta --> Tallahassee. I got my share of Braves games in Atlanta, moved into a new house, played laser tag with my dad in Tallahassee, and now I'm back to work at 2 of my 3 jobs at FSU.

My last week at UWI was a great close to a very memorable international experience. We went to Liberty Hall, home to the legacy of Marcus Garvey, Jamaica's first national hero who encouraged descendants of Africa to embrace their culture and stand as equals with other races.

From the website:

The primary mission of Liberty Hall: The Legacy of Marcus Garvey, is to inform the public about the work of Jamaica’s first National hero and to use his philosophy and opinions to inspire, excite, and positively affect the self-identity of Jamaican people while creating social and economic wealth.

As a history buff, I really enjoyed the visit to Liberty Hall and learned a ton about Jamaican political and social history. I thought the on-going feud between Garvey and W.E.B. DuBois was fascinating. DuBois is such an American icon; it was surprising to learn that not everyone agreed with his personal philosophy.

From ritesofpassage.org:

Garvey's adherence to the ideals of service and success, on the one hand, and to the practical boosterism of the self-made man, on the other, created a peculiar tension in his later relationships with both W. E. B. DuBois and Booker T. Washington. The antagonism between DuBois and Garvey was more cultural than political. It stemmed from the struggle between the nineteenth-century New England patrician ideal, translated by DuBois into his concept of "the Talented Tenth," and the competing ideal of the self-made man that provided Garvey with his rationale. "Many American Negroes," DuBois asserted, viewed Garvey's meteoric rise as the "enthroning of a demagogue, who with monkey shines was deluding the people and taking their hard-earned dollars." Garvey, for his part, accused DuBois of setting himself up as "the highest social dignitary." Garvey saw in himself the idealized self-made man who triumphed over continual disadvantage in a heroic struggle for success and survival. On this basis he drew a harsh distinction between DuBois and himself:

Marcia and I also went to the National Gallery. I love galleries. I could have spent all day examining the artwork of Jamaica. I didn't take any pictures, but you can see different examples of works at the website: http://about.galleryjamaica.org/

On my last evening, my hosts and supervisors took me out for a wonderful farewell dinner at one of the local Chinese restaurants. Grace, Donna Mae, Dr. Reynolds, Marcia, and Mr. Lowrie (another Hall Director) were there for my send off, and they absolutely showered me with presents! My two favorite gifts were a coffee table book of the history of UWI and a Jamaican scarf. I can't wait for it to get cold so that I can wear it!

The final verdict--

I am so glad I took advantage of the opportunity.
If given the chance to go back, I would go in a heartbeat.
My favorite aspects of the experience were the people, the geography, and the food.
The only thing that would have made the experience better was if I had traveled with another classmate.
Tropical Island Man Eating Death Bugs = bad news.
I learned about: customer service/hospitality, program building, strategic management, Jamaican history and culture (especially music and cuisine!)
My favorite experiences - scuba diving in Mobay, getting lost in the mountains of eastern Jamaica with Grace, walking around campus during the day collecting wild mangos, meals at Rex Nettleford with the staff, running on the Mona Bowl track, visits with all of the Hall Directors

If any other higher ed students read this entry, GO ON THE BEYOND BORDERS TRIP and/or apply for the internship next summer. Phenomenal experience--totally worth it! I will miss my new friends and cherish my memories!