Carlow Roundtable Proceedings | 2011

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Perhaps most importantly, students came away with what one called a “life changing experience.” As they reflected on their personal transformation, students discovered meaning that transcended the study of this one snapshot in history. I am reminded of Fr. James Keenan’s definition of Mercy: “the willingness to enter into the chaos of others” (Keenan). Learners who participated in this course and tour entered into the chaos of racism—they saw the impact of advocacy, the capacity of Mercy, the consequence of ignoring injustice, and they witnessed the power to create social change. This transformative learning experience compelled the students to share what they learned. So, in October 2010, the students gathered in Kresge Theatre at Carlow University to share their experiences from the course and tour with their community. They sang songs, showed video clips, discussed their research projects, and offered personal reflections. The event celebrated their learning and transformation. CONCLUSION This course and tour brought together nine students—both African American and White and from different majors and disciplinary perspectives—for an experiential study in social justice. Together, they bore witness to the pain of racism, and they saw firsthand the power of Mercy to cure injustice and to create social change. Ultimately, the seeds were planted to help these young learners make broader connections to other social movements and human rights causes. The students have come from this experience with a sense of responsibility to be advocates, but also to be story tellers. As one student stated, “we know too much; we have to pass this along.” While courses in social movements exist in a variety of educational contexts and disciplines, this course benefits from its roots in a Mercy institution of higher learning. Catholic Social Teaching and the Mercy charism provide a context within a context for teaching social movements and for inspiring students to learn, to advocate, and to build a just and merciful world.


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