Day 10 - Memphis and The Lorraine Motel

June 22, 2011 

In Memphis, we were hosted by The Pilgrim House, a hostel in midtown Memphis that is operated by First Congregational Church.   First Congo, as it is called, had a rich history of social justice.  It was an  founded 140 years ago as an integrated church by people who believed that slavery was wrong and that women should be able to preach.  One of the interesting features of the hostel was that it was also the home of Revolutions Community Bike Shop - a non-profit bike shop that uses recycled parts to create bikes just like the reCYCLEry in carrborro, NC which provided our bikes for the tour.

After our stay at the hostel,  we connected with Dr. Charles McKinney, a friend of my parents and a professor of African American studies at Rhodes College in Memphis.   He talked to us about how the image of African Americans has changed throughout history, and how even after Reconstruction, there was still a battle to obtain equality. His lecture really gave us a unique perception of the black struggle, and allowed us to have a greater historical context later on that day when we visited the famous Lorraine Motel, now known as the National Civil Rights Museum.  For all of those whom are unaware, the Lorraine Motel was where the assasination of Dr. Martin Luther King took place - on the balcony of room 306.

The motel has now been converted into a national museum focused on the historical events of the Civil Rights movement, including the Sanitation Strikes of Memphis and the bus boycotts of Montgomery. Unfortunately, due to copyright laws, I was not allowed to take any photographs; however I can tell you that the museum was one of the most informative visits along this trip. It was incredible to see how many sacrifices had to he made by my parent's and grandparent's generations. The museum really opened my eyes to the brutalities that MY family had to go through so that I may go to an integrated school. Or even something as simple as talking to one of a different race in a candy store.

Thank you to all our conductors  who made this leg of the journey possible -- First Congregational and The Pilgrim House, Dr. Charles McKinney, Revolutions Bike Shop and The National Civil Rights Museum.  Your generosity and support will always be remembered.

Day 12 - Camping in Dover, TN

June 24  Cuba Landing, TN to Dover, TN (60 miles)

Tonight SNR camped out at the Piney campgrounds in Tennessee. Even though we had camped out before, this was the first time where we were surrounded by other teens and had the opportunity to swim and play basketball. This was also the first and only night where we started a campfire. Throughout this trip this was SNR's first"real" camping experience, and by real I mean hot dogs, s'mores and the whole 9. We explored the grounds for all their worth, ate more hotdogs, roasted more s'mores; hooped it up on the court, and ended the night with all of the boys sprinting into the lake. Shout out to Mahlique for being the first one to dive in. It was really one of those nights where we could unwind and enjoy ourselves.

However, our happy go lucky façade was broken when we were encountered by two little girls while exiting the lake.  For the first time on this tour, we were greeted by the same word by which many of our parents and grandparents have been subjected to: the "N" word.  These two little girls, born and raised in Tennessee, were not a day older than 8. In fact, the exact quote from one of them was "I'm seven and a half now, shut your f-ing mouth." 


This was one of those situations where we are reminded of why we are embarking on this journey -- not only to bike across the country, but to understand the hardships of the enslaved people running towards freedom. When we are used to certain types of people, such as the many privileged and open hearted and sometimes open minded people in my town Chapel Hill, NC, we often forget that not everyone feels, believes or even shares the same point of view. It is this reality and false sense of security which damages our ability to perceive the upbringings of others. 


In this case, I realized that the two little girls we encountered were not necessarily bad people. In a sense, they are no different from me. They are products of how they were raised. Their parents instilled racism into their bones just as mine have made sure that I am never judging others by their outward appearance or their personal beliefs. It is simply by the luck of the draw that I was on that side of the line. In conclusion this experience was an easy reminder that we cannot forget that there still are dangers on our route and that not everypne was raised by the same morals.