Cindy’s Reflections on the Highlander Center’s Cultural Organizing Training

Our American Axle/Delavan-Grider Environmental Justice Organizer Cindy Stroud recently attended a training retreat on Cultural Organizing at the Highlander Center. The following are her reflections on her experience – if you a Clean Air member and are interested in this training, there is one more class planned the week of July 31 – reach out to Cindy for more info!

I arrived in Knoxville, TN, being a big girl flying all by myself, and yes, that was my first time traveling alone. I had no clue what to expect upon my arrival, but I enjoyed entering something new as an empty slate. The contact person, Oba, was there. I took a 30-minute ride and learned that the driver was also the drum instructor for Friday night. He tells me how he started in this movement, all because of his mom, an activist. We turn into an area that is nothing less than the exact design of GOD.

Beautiful, open green grass, mountains, hills, valleys, and trees for as far as the eye can see. I couldn’t believe I was here from work; wow, what will they teach me here? I was welcomed by a tall, black, beautiful woman with a clipboard. She introduced herself and then told me what door number I should look for because that was my assigned room. #12 on the door was my name: Welcome Cynthia Stroud.

After settling in and putting my belongings down, I walked around the cabin that slept 15-20 people. It is a beautiful wood cabin with a screened-in porch with about 15 rocking chairs, end tables, and board games in the corner of the porch. I felt like someone tapped into my private thoughts of my perfect place.

As people started to find their rooms, a sense of calm filled the air. Introductions were made, and the simple question ‘Where are you from?’ sparked connections.

After a few hours, everyone started to ask how we were going to get food and drinks. Do you guys drink bottled water or straight from the tap? For some reason, that was a big joke. There was some kind of mix-up with the dinner issue. We did get pizza and salad that evening, and the refrigerator had a filter on the water dispenser. By 11 p.m., with all that open land, clean air, and travel, I had to hit the hay.

Up by 6 am, I found out that a big food order had been delivered after I went to bed. In your room is a notebook with an itinerary and a number; the paper reads Wed- breakfast will be served at 9 am in the mess hall. At 10 am, everyone should meet in the round room located upstairs from the cafeteria.

We did that, then we found out what the numbers were in our notebooks; instructions were to do some research to find out what was going on that year in Highlanders, 1990 was the year I had, so we had to find out how many other people had that number also, You meet up with the group, gather all the info, and put together a presentation; we had 3 hours to work on this.

This was when I learned that Miles Horton was one of the founders of Highlanders Folk School-1930, and 1934 the first African American came to Highlander Folk School. They bring social solidarity and continue fighting for justice and equality, supporting organizing and leadership development.

But I don’t want to talk about things you can google. I want to describe my personal experience; after the first assignment, I was ready to see how they set up this entire training. The instructor’s name is Je Nae; she assured us that anything needed could be obtained.

The group talked and learned what is essential when facilitating a meeting. Who were we trying to help? What help looks like when in despair,” We are all we need.” ironically, when ever someone mentioned they were having sinus issues, a headache; someone in the room always had something with them to help,” we all we need was reiterate, which left me feeling that I didn’t have to be the person in charge, the one everyone looks to to solve whatever issues that have arisen and make it better.

I’ve been that person for so long; it’s so lovely when you can allow others to play their role.

We were instructed to close our eyes and think of someone in our family that you never met but they are no longer with us. I did what was asked and thought and reflected on pictures and the few stories that I heard about her- y grandmother that I never met, Molly. I still can’t explain what happened, but I can tell you that was the first of many meditation sessions just focusing on my ancestors.

The people that I met were amazing. Most of them lived in the south; a few of the young ladies were Doulas. We talked about having babies and all the ways childbearing has changed. My experience comes from life, theirs mostly from a books—that’s one of the things I enjoy about being a Seasoned woman. The lessons that I have lived I’ll never forget. GOLD!

After lunch, we did a different exercise; all we had to do was find a partner, introduce ourselves, and ask the person ten x’s who are you. Then tell the person what the relationship between you and the deceased person was, from the am session.

It sounds pretty simple; well, by the 5th, who are you? I was in tears. Hearing you say the affirmation was powerful, a MOM, a SISTER, AUNT, HELPER, a NEIGHBOR, an activist GRANDMOTHER a EXWIFE, I was not the only one; the room was filled with open, raw emotions, people sobbing with this belief that the question opened their eyes to hear you are a lot, you are the help I need. I felt vulnerable, open, and ready to learn more.

The next two days were spent learning how effective protest are, when coming together chants and, how they stay in your head, the power that they possess. I could only imagine how Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks felt being at Highlanders with like minded people believing in the movement.

I am a true believer that everything happens for a reason; at this time of my life going to Highlanders was an answered prayer that I didn’t even ask for. I needed this more than I knew, I was at a point in my life where I needed to redefine who I was, and I didn’t quite know how to do it this time; Highlanders reassured me that Clean Air is precisely where I’m supposed to be helping the community, and trying to build grassroots leaders.

I experienced early morning meditations, being able to think, not hearing the inner city sounds, it was like not being in the real world for a few days. I was unavailable to the world. It’s been forever since I have stepped away from my world. I experienced a sound bath; by this time I am allowing my mind, body & spirit to be open, free and non judgmental.

I closed my eyes, listened to the sounds and felt like I was transported to a place of calmness, acceptance, and healing.

This is how people get in tune with mother earth and their inner being. I felt my third eye being wide open, it woke up something in me – it’s time to step into what you’re going to be doing for the next 10 years and I’m sure I’ll be doing this work until I die. I love it.

We learned about the Triad or triangle, what it means, how it helps us to stay focused on the problem, people and targets. People don’t plan to fail; they fail to plan.

Knowledge is the key understanding, making sure everyone is on the same page- we will make sure that we are all ok.

We learned songs and learned to listen to the messages in the music; it was a cultural teaching that I was so glad to be getting. We were privileged to learn about an Altar and welcomed to place things on the altar and offer sacrifices; it made me feel like I was acknowledging my memories.

I learned from one of the facilitators when you stand before a group of people that you may be a little nervous to speak in front of, stand, take a deep breath, and with your hands beside you, palms to the back. You stand and allow your accessories to support you to stand behind you and give you that support that only something in you knows how to help, hold, reassure you that, we got this.

It’s the You that is in you that supports, loves and protects you, that allows you to become a better you. Believe in you.

Friday is the last day of coming together, working in groups to strategize, acknowledge the targets, help the oppressed, and show people that we are worth speaking up for and fighting for.

People are power; we must be reminded.

We did a compelling presentation on different subjects; my group worked on Seeds; the idea was to draw a picture of a seed on a pregnant woman’s belly, to show how a human (seed) is growing. The group talked about the entire family unit, how to impact the unit, what is needed to assist the male, encourage him to learn to farm, and how to be a helper in the unit; everyone plays a vital part in a family.

After dinner, we had a three-hour break and needed to meet at 8 for the drum lesson. 8pm- in a big circle were bongos and chairs; we sat and tried to mimic what the instructor played, 1-2 -1-2 1-2.

After a while, everyone hitting the drums sounded like folk music to me—seeing a group of 15 people coming together on Wednesday as strangers, we were nothing less than a chosen family by Friday. It was wonderful, food for the soul.

It’s Friday, and we are Kindreds now. I felt as if the universe replaced people I had lost in the past ten years with new people. Who am I? I don’t deserve more souls to love; I guess I do because I have them now.

Then, the frosting on the cake happened when the skies opened up, and a vibrant burst of majestic pink fuchsia and purple exploded in the sky, making what looked like a neon rainbow. It was the Northern Lights, which could only be seen in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Buffalo, New York (it was all for me). That was my experience at Highlander’s magical trip for a GOLD lady ME.