Harlem field trip post #4

I really enjoyed going an a field trip to Harlem, and seeing the neighborhood that Malcolm X spent his years in. I had been to Harlem a couple of times before to visit family friends, but the school trip there showed me a completely new perspective of the place. I liked the bus tour at the beginning; Andi Owens pretty much gave a background of the area in a very enjoyable manner. I had always had a certain image of Harlem in my mind, like many others, which was almost completely replaced as early as the tour guide gave the tour of Harlem. I would have liked to walk a little more around Harlem on foot, instead of just on the bus, but i realize that would have been hard with such a big group. At the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, it was interesting to see a whole exhibit dedicated to President Obama. Even though the place was just full pictures, they really had a lot of meaning and a few were also entertaining. Also, i didn't think that a place like the Schomburg Center would exist in Harlem, so that also was interesting for me. Personally, i usually find bus tours to be boring and repetitive, but this time Neal Shoemaker, the other tour guide, really kept my attention. Even though he himself was entertaining enough, but the things he talked about were actually very interesting, especially in the way he presented them. At Sylvia's Restaurant, the fried chicken was seriously the best i have ever tasted. I actually hadn't really heard of soul food before, but i just assumed that "soul" was just a label for something relative to African-Americans. But after lunch, i understood the part where "putting your soul into your cooking " came into play. Later on, the time we spent  at the Apollo theater was really amusing. I had heard of the Apollo theater before, but i didn't think it was such a big deal. Also, for some reason, after hearing it was a  prominent landmark, i expected it to be a little bit bigger. But the interior and all the designs were beautiful. The little show Billy put on was also very entertaining. I was looking forward to going to the mosque Masjid Malcolm Shabazz, but i have to say that it was also not like i imagined it. I thought it would have a little more elaborate exterior and entrance. Actually, now that i think about it, i find it ironic that i would think that, since previously, i thought Harlem was more of a rundown  community. Anyways, in the Mosque, the separate entrances  for men and women, or sisters and brothers, was the first time i encountered such a separation, other than the usual separation of bathrooms, of course. I was looking forward to hearing th Brother talk about Islam, since I've always been interested in learning about different religions. I loved that he was so enthusiastic. 

Overall, i enjoyed this field trip because it gave me a whole new view point of black Harlem. Actually, i recently realized that my experience in Harlem was similar to Malcolm's experience on his pilgrimage to Mecca. I don't mean all the complications he had, i mean the part where his entire view of Islam was changed. Throughout his journey, his eyes were opened to what Islam truly was. All the muslims he encountered were overwhelmingly hospitable and welcoming. For me, it was almost like that in Harlem. My view on the Harlem way of life changed and everyone we met was very welcoming. Malcolm's experience also reminded me of the movie The Last Samurai. In the movie, the main character finds himself in the same situation as Malcolm. He is a soldier who has an emotional downfall, then finds support and strength in a different country which he was supposedly supposed to hate. What i mean is that both of their views were changed by another type of people who they thought were one thing, but tuned out to be totally different.