Days 135 & 136 of AY20-21: what should we do when we see harm?

Wednesday, May 5th was our 135th day of the pandacademic year. On this day, I facilitated the morning meeting for the cell I was a part of. I prepared three prompts for the meeting that I had hoped would spark an interesting conversation for our group that ranged from the youngest to the oldest Learners at Abrome. The prompts were: (1) When society is doing something harmful, what should you do about it? (2) What is society doing now that is hurtful (locally, state, nation, world)? (3) What should you do about it? The meeting stretched on as everyone took the prompts seriously, with each sharing their thoughts. One of the adolescent Learners who is normally quite reserved opened up in surprising ways during the conversation.

Relaxing in the water

Some of the ways that the group felt they should respond to society doing something harmful included helping someone who is affected by it; protest and rally to change the minds of leaders; introspect, talk about it, and participate in communities that are supporting people; help create alternatives that can undermine systems of harm; and “if you see something say something.”

What they felt society was doing now that is hurtful included racism; police abuse of power; removing and destroying homeless settlements; discrimination against AAPI and LGBTQ communities; devaluing and destroying the natural world; and the criminalization of people who are already hurting.

What they felt they should do about it included supporting the impacted communities, and donating or joining relevant organizations; filming the police; connecting people with nature, especially young people to reestablish connection with nature; supporting organizations that help people recover from the impacts of criminalization; and making books or movies about racism.

Great spot for sun

The day was going to be short for some of us, as one Learner was going to leave early for some skin art, I was going to drop some books off with a prospective family and schedule a call with another prospective family, and another Learner would end up going home because of an unfortunate run-in with a bunch of bugs. After the uncharacteristically long morning meeting, we walked to the river so that the Learner who had planned to depart early could enjoy some time there. After 45 minutes we walked back to the pickup spot together and then hung out on some large rocks talking about life while waiting for her ride.

After the Learner had left, I drove out to the home of four prospective Learners to drop off some books, and got to say hello to the 12-year-old girl member of the crew. I then returned to Abrome and scheduled a call with the family of four more prospective Learners for the next day, as well as trying to organize shadows for other prospective Learners who said they wanted to shadow with us before the end of the academic year.

Enjoying the temporary stream

Meanwhile, back at the cell, the Learners broke out the inflatable paddle board until one of the Learners who was on shore had a run in with a bunch of insects. The bites were nothing serious but he was ready to go home. On his walk back to the pickup spot they spotted a bunch of eggs that were located at the base of a tree and relayed that information back to the group still at the lake.

The rest of the crew did their best to enjoy themselves on the water but on this day a large number of local high school kids showed up for what would quickly turn into a very loud party, complete with fermented drinks and funny smelling cigarettes, if you know what I mean. Facilitator Lauren raised the desire to cede the space to the kids who seemed to have been let out of school early, as their presence (density, noise, smells) coupled with the increasing intensity of the heat seemed overwhelming. The other Learners agreed and they decided to take a walk to the first waterfall for the short remainder of the day. On their way they kept their eyes open for the eggs (later determined to be chicken eggs that someone had inexplicably placed there). It was a short stay at the waterfall, where they had their afternoon roundup. The discussed what was enjoyable about the day, what they had wanted to do but did not do, and what they wanted to do the next day.

Gaming in nature I guess

At the other cell, a Learner returned from his day off for his Star Wars birthday (May the Fourth be with you). Facilitator Ariel handed him the birthday card that all the Facilitators signed for him, and then the crew decided to walk to the location they dubbed “the cave” for their morning meeting. There, one of the adolescent Learners volunteered to lead the morning meeting.

While the walk was long, the Learners largely stayed in one place the entire day, enjoying the water and each other. Two of the Learners really focused on taking in all that nature had to offer them that day, soaking up the rays of the sun, appreciating the sounds of the water flowing by, and getting their feet wet and appreciating all that was happening on the bed of the temporary stream. Two of the Learners meanwhile spent much of their time playing video games on a phone. Not how I would spend my day but it worked for them. One of them did take some time to check out the water, and both seemed to appreciate the hike to and from the cave. At the end of the day another Learner led the afternoon roundup. He asked what everyone was excited about and consensus was that they were excited about the shadowers who would be joining us in the coming cycle. On the long walk back, Facilitator Ariel was able to have a deep conversation with one of the adolescents who is working through a lot in their life.

A great place to relax

Water fight!

On Thursday, May 6th, I was fully remote, focusing on administrative tasks. On the day I had a great 71-minute call with a family looking to shadow with us, and I communicated with other families, as well, to include one that may be moving from Mexico to join us! I was also compelled to write a blog post distancing ourselves from a nature educator in the area who has been vocal in his support of actively harming the houseless population as a means of ‘cleaning up’ the city. I also wanted to raise the awareness that educators have been complicit in the criminalization of the houseless. Too often many on the political left believe that if only we school more we will have a more tolerant, more peaceful society, but they ignore that the people run and are employed by the school come from our current society, and they ignore the explicit aims of schooling.

At the cell that I would have otherwise been at that day, many other Learners were also out. This left only one Learner and Facilitator Lauren. The Learner was given the option of staying home by his mom, but he chose to stay for the day and spend it one-on-one with Facilitator Lauren. But with flexibility in mind, they decided to relocate to another park for the day. The mom went home and picked up some water blasters and floaties, while Facilitator Lauren pulled out some water noodles.

At the park they went to, the young Learner thoroughly took in having Facilitator Lauren all to himself for the day. They got in a water blaster battle, played volleyball, sat in the sand, swam with noodles, and just enjoyed the green grass. It was a great day for both, and it would most certainly be the last time that only one Learner would be showing up for an Abrome day.

Meanwhile, at the other cell they had another hiking day. A long hike that gave the Learners plenty of opportunity to take in the beauty of the hill country in spring. When they finally settled down at a spot near the water, one of the Learners rested against a tree limb with his feet in the water. Nearby a toad was also appreciating the view, or maybe it was looking for food. The only thing that was not relaxing about the day for the other cell was that it was determined that there was a monster prowling in the water. Fortunately no one was hurt.

Day 120 of AY20-21: learning how to welcome people in

Friday, April 9th was the last in-person day of cycle 8, meaning it was the last day of our social justice oriented Flying Squad, and it was day 120 of the pandacademic year.

As the Learners came into the space before the morning meeting, I noticed four of the Learners all turned in toward each other, with one of the shadowers about 20 feet away just watching them. Over the prior few days of the week I had pointed out different ways in which they seemed to be excluding shadowers, or at best, not being welcoming to them. One of the things about Abrome is that many Learners come here to escape schooling. Abrome serves as a way to reclaim a sense of belonging, a sense that they matter after being in a system that saw them only as test scores or tuition payments. Abrome is a place where they are free from the competition and ranking and hierarchies that spur so much of the anti-social and toxic behaviors of schooling. But when they find a home where they finally feel safe, sometimes they get so invested in their relationships with others that they do not do a great job of welcoming others. And sometimes, they are so damaged from schooling that they hold onto comfortable relationships and are slow to welcome in others.

Which is a shame, because we are too small right now from a sustainability perspective, and our limited size limits the magic of what Emancipated Learning can be. Each new person brings in their own unique mix of interests, experiences, and ways of being. In a Self-Directed Education environment, where the learning happens as much from one another as it does from any formal medium, the benefits of additional Learners accrue not linearly, but exponentially. Additionally, social proof is extremely important for growing the community, as parents and guardians want to know that other families have trusted their children to be free, and prospective Learners want to know that other Learners like them have chosen to come to Abrome. In fact, we are suffering from a shortage of girls and young women at Abrome in part because when they’ve looked at Abrome they did not see enough people who looked like them.

Although I had planned to address my disappointment at the ways in which we were not being super welcoming to the shadowers in the morning meeting, I could not hold off when I saw the Learners turned in toward each other that morning. I walked up to them and said, “y’all are being a bunch of assholes.” Then I said, “no, you’re acting like a bunch of assholes.” I told them that while no one is forced to like or spend time with others at Abrome, that their discomfort at welcoming in new people is not nearly as uncomfortable as being the new person in the group, and they should know that considering all of them had previously been welcomed into Abrome. I said, that they had the right to ignore people, but “that’s a shitty way to live life.”

It was the second time that week that I had given some pretty raw feedback. They then awkwardly oriented their bodies toward the shadower to make him feel more welcome. Shortly thereafter I checked in with the mom of the other shadower, and she told me that her daughter felt so alone the day prior that she couldn’t get out of the car. The prospective Learner was not up for trying again that day, especially after the years of bad experiences she had at a variety of public and private schools. I was devastated. A lack of awareness or intention by our group to make the prospective Learner feel welcome resulted in her passing up what would have most likely been the best possible environment for her to finish out her adolescent years.

We then went into the morning meeting. The Learners could tell that I was upset, but they probably thought it was over what I said to them that morning. But what I was most upset by was that the Learners do care, but they have not yet been able to couple that concern with intention and action.

After the morning meeting we moved into the Check-in and Change-up. We ended up taking two awareness off the Community Awareness Board because we felt good about them becoming norms within our community, and four new awarenesses were proposed. We only had room for two so the two that we decided not to focus on that morning were: (1) we grow as people when we think about the feedback we get from others, and we grow more when we commit to change; and (2) it does not feel good when Learners treat Facilitators like parents or teachers and defer their thinking and decision making to them.

The first new awareness we added was proposed by Facilitator Ariel: the days are less frustrating when people are actively engaged in meetings. He began the discussion by saying that the prompts we come up with are purposeful but that the answers are quickly forgotten. We also acknowledged that simply repeating what someone else said did not typically indicate that one was really thinking about the prompt. We eventually agreed to three new practices for the awareness. The first was that if people were not engaged we would say “let’s focus” and then we would all recenter. The second was that we would look at person speaking, although if anyone felt uncomfortable looking others in the face they could simply look in their direction. The third practice was that we were not going to repeat what someone else said without an explanation.

The second new awareness we added was proposed by two of the adolescent Learners, and clearly sprang from my earlier words to them: some people aren’t making others feel welcome. This led to a longer conversation about the ways in which we welcome others is not only valuable because of how each Learner benefits, or how the community benefits, but because of the impact it has on the shadower. It’s about being decent human beings. We come up with three practices to try to address the awareness. First, each morning there would be a Learners only planning meeting for the day, that would necessitate bringing in everyone to engage with one another. The second was that we would invite people in. And the third was to use more welcoming body language.

It was a long meeting, and the Learners were eager to move on with the day after some pretty challenging and uncomfortable conversation. We did not get very far before the youngest broke down. His parents were allotting him a certain amount of money to spend on food each day, and that became his primary focus. We had agreed that we would stop at the corner store on the way back to the pickup spot at the end of the day to get food, but he wanted to get the food right then and there. Facilitator Ariel went to chat with him and one of the adolescent Learners said that he would take lead to talk to him, and he soon got the young Learner back on track.

Part of the plan they all came up with that morning was to stop at Fresa’s for drinks and food. I had never been there before so I did not know what a big deal it was. Facilitator Ariel and I were continuing to step back as much as possible to make space for the Learners to take charge. One of the Learners came up to me and bragged about getting his drink for free. I asked how, and he said that when he went to pay he was actually a few cents short. The lady at the window told him not to worry about it and let him have it for free. I remarked how incredibly generous she was and asked if he left a tip. He said that he did not. I said there was a tip jar at the window, and that if he got the drink for free it seemed to me that it would be quite appropriate to use some of the money he had for a tip. He asked how much, and I said I’d probably leave a dollar. He looked at the money in his hand, and drifted off. I watched him as he uncomfortably debated putting money in the jar or just joining the other Learners. He chose not to put the money in the jar.

As we were walking away I asked him why he chose not to tip. He said that he wanted to keep the money so he could spend it on something else. I asked him if he thought that was what was fair. He then told me that my questions were making him feel guilty. I asked him why he felt guilty, but he did not reply. I then asked him if he knew how the people who work at restaurants typically get paid. He said the company pays them. I said not always, that many service workers are paid below minimum wage with the belief that tips will more than make up for the low pay. And that by not leaving a tip, he took up her time without compensating her for it. I then pointed out that minimum wage in Texas is $7.25, but that servers often get paid barely over $2.00 an hour. I asked if he was willing to work full days for $7.25 an hour, or $2.13 an hour plus tips, and he said he would not. I suggested that he consider how fortunate he is, and to remember that the next time he has a chance to tip a worker.

The social justice focus for the day was to exist as young people in public, making adults uncomfortable about it along the way. They planned to hang out at the upper level of Whole Foods for this mission, but it was pretty clear to me that the real learning that day would be talking about being inclusive, and discussing minimum wage and tips.

I was pleased to see that so many Learners were drinking water that day. It was a warmer day and I encouraged them to drink early and often, and they were. By the time we got to Whole Foods the Learners were ready to spend some of their money. All of the adolescent Learners and the lone shadower went into the store. It seemed to be a big deal for the newest of the Learners to be trusted to go off by himself. The learning curve he is experiencing in terms of learning who he is, what his responsibilities are to others, and what it means to be free is pretty remarkable.

The youngest Learner asked to go into the grocery store with me (his money was sent to me via Venmo so he needed me to buy his food). I reminded him that the agreement we made was to get something at the corner store on the way back. He said he did not want candy, but that he wanted a fruit or vegetable. He totally tricked me, because I said okay. Once we got into the store he changed his mind and decided that he wanted to buy some sort of snack. We settled on a healthy snack with the understanding that we would not stop at the corner store on the way back, and that he would wait until we got back to eat it so that we made it in time. He said okay, and although he asked me numerous times to eat it early, he stuck to that latest agreement. Although the Learner had really struggled that cycle by ruminating on food and letting it take over large chunks of his days, he had come a long way in regulating himself.

The Learners ended up playing tag and associated games on the roof of Whole Foods, as well as just sitting around and chatting with each other. Two of the Learners and Facilitator Ariel made plans to play Call of Duty during our off week. And during the discussion I was told that two of the Learners had plans to get the Covid-19 vaccine that weekend! We ended the day/week strong with a review of practices, reflections on what each of us learned regarding social justice that week, and what we feel we need to do to become better human beings toward others. Then we finished off our week with gratitudes. What a challenging but tremendously powerful week of learning how to be supportive to others it was for each of us, and for our community.

The other cell finished off there week in a much more relaxed manner:

Day 119 of AY20-21: the challenge of centering the needs of others

Thursday April 8th was the 14th day of cycle 8, and day 119 of the pandacademic year. It was also the first shadow day for a prospective Learner, and the third shadow day for another.

At the morning meeting Facilitator Ariel volunteered to be the game master, having us sit in a circle and sharing in order from tallest to shortest. I was facilitating the meeting and had us start with announcements and then introduce ourselves by stating our name, pronouns, how long we’ve been at Abrome, and telling the group something interesting about ourselves. We then shared our intentions for the day, and then we each mentioned what makes us feel comfortable when we are in a new setting with new people. Considering that we had two shadowers with us this seemed like a great prompt and the answers were mostly pretty helpful: when they break away from the group to talk to me, when people share with me, when I have a safety device and can retreat into it (not very helpful), friendliness, doing an activity with them (e.g., game), talking, finding common ground, sharing memes, when people are exactly like me (not very helpful).

Before we did anything else that day the group had planned to visit with the houseless folks they spoke to the day before. Multiple people committed to address a need that was shared with them the day before, and each showed up that morning with the items they committed to bring: bread, cheese, granola bars, water, and a calendar. It was nice to see follow through from the group on an issue that a Learner had indicated meant a lot to her.

Next we had planned to walk to The Texas State Capitol to see if we could make people feel uncomfortable about free kids in public spaces in the middle of the school day. Facilitator Ariel and I once again dropped back so that the Learners could lead the way, but when everyone looked to the same Learner they had been deferring to the previous several weeks, I asked if someone else was able to take the lead. An adolescent Learner was out of his comfort zone but he decided to lead the way. Off he went, pretty quickly, with everyone following. I walked next to him and told him that leading wasn’t just about being at the front, but also making sure everyone in the group was taken care of. I encouraged him to look behind every once in a while to make sure he wasn’t leaving his friends behind.

When we came across a sunken courtyard the youngest Learner insisted that we stop and play there. He had a skateboard (minus the wheels) that he thought he could use to do tricks off of in the courtyard. The Learners all reminded him that we agreed to a timeline that included getting to the Capitol as soon as possible because two Learners needed to leave early. The young Learner struggled to find a reason to stick with the plan, and told everyone that they needed to adjust the plan so he could play. Facilitator Ariel sat with him, acknowledged that he wanted to play, and eventually convinced the Learner to stick to the plan that the Learners collectively set that morning.

When we got to the Capitol grounds we settled in around a large oak tree for some conversation. I had been concerned by how little the Learners were interacting with the shadowers so I addressed it with a couple of them, particularly the ways in which they used their bodies to turn away from conversation. It was frustrating as I had spoken about it multiple time that week. Some of the Learners said that they did not realize they were doing it, and some insisted that they were not doing it. All said that they did not want to ignore the new Learners but that they did not know how to interact.

At 12:00 p.m. I feared that the day would get away from us and that we would not be able to go into the Capitol in time to participate in any committee hearings where people could address the committee. Everyone agreed that we would eat lunch for half an hour and then walk in. At that point, all of the Learners began to walk away from the Facilitators and the two shadowers, and I said to them, “I’m making the observation that all of the Learners are walking away from the shadowers.” They did not invite the shadowers to join them, though. I recognized that they were all feeling insecure, particularly because the newest shadower was older than each of them, but I also remember each of their first days (and weeks) and remember how out of place they felt then, and how they all appreciated it when the more veterans Learners chose to center the needs of shadowers instead of letting their insecurities prevent them from being welcoming.

When we got into the Capitol we tried to find a committee hearing that we could join, but we found out that they were all out of session because both the senate and the house were in session. We were able to get in the house gallery as they discussed Amendment No. 3 to Texas House Bill 1239. It was a bill that was purportedly about religious freedom but upon hearing the debate on the floor it became clear to me that it was more about the culture wars. Those who were opposed to any restrictions on gatherings during the Covid-19 pandemic were looking to carve out exceptions to the state being able to enforce public health safety measures. The obvious place to start would be churches. The vote tended to fall along party lines, which highlights the challenge of hoping that partisan government bodies can center the needs of people who do not vote or donate to the party.

After watching the session we walked out of the house gallery and began winding our way through the Capitol. As the Learners were running up and down stairs I asked if they wanted me to referee a race. Most of them did, so I laid out the rules. It would be a short race. They would run down one flight of stairs, run around to the opposite side of the stairs, and then run right back up. I would space them out in five second intervals so that none would trip over the others. As I counted off for each to go, one Learner could not wait and began to inch toward the starting line. Another Learner tried to hold him back and lost control of him, but fortunately he fell down to the side instead of down the stairs. That would have been bad. Eventually every Learner had taken off with one Learner coming to the finish line. I was a bit confused for a second as the other Learners were not hot on his tail, but apparently he was the only one who listened to the rules of the game.

After the race and after everyone caught their breath, we walked toward the exit. As we walked by some staffers I loudly said to the Learners, “keep your hands in your pockets, you really embarrassed us today.” With a look of shock on the faces of the staffers I turned to them and said, “school kids need discipline.” I don’t think any of them were amused, but I was amused because it seemed to me that they forgot what school was like.

Outside the Capitol the youngest Learner said he wanted to ride his skateboard down a steep grassy area that came out on a road. Facilitator Ariel said that was not a great idea because it would almost certainly lead to some sort of injury. The Learner got upset and said that he could do it. Facilitator Ariel who has been skateboarding for years more than the Learner had been alive said, “are you willing to trust me?” The Learner then asked if it would be a better idea to play on a much smaller slope that did not come out on a road.

Two of the Learners left early, as planned. After they left one of the Learners asked me if they could go investigate what looked like an ice cream truck up the road. I said that I would accompany him, although I doubted an ice cream truck would normally set up there given the limited foot traffic. When we showed up it was indeed open, to my surprise. The Learners got excited and began to look for a menu with prices, when a lady with a bunch of Planned Parenthood signs told them that they had rented out the ice cream truck and that they could get some ice cream for free. I told the lady that we were not volunteers and they said that it was okay. I suggested to the Learners that they ask the lady what she was there for and she was eager to talk to them about their health services. But the Learners were so focused on the ice cream the lady said, “it can wait until they get their ice cream.” Once they got their ice cream I again asked, and one Learner walked off while the other completely zoned out as he dug into his ice cream. The lady said, “it’s okay, don’t worry about it.”

We walked off and I asked the Learners why they ignored the lady who just gave them free ice cream. The youngest was so lost in the ice cream that he did not even understand what I was asking, while the other insisted that he was listening. I asked him what the organization did, and he said he did not know. I said that might be an indication that he was not listening. When we got back to the Capitol grounds I insisted on talking to them about ways in which they can show gratitude when people give them something, whether it is people with a political agenda or perhaps their parents.

Towards the end of the day, those same two Learners were fixated on going back to 7-Eleven for more sugar, so I agreed to take off with them in one direction while Facilitator Ariel and the remaining Learners and shadowers could drop by the ice cream truck to see if they could get some free ice cream. Fortunately, this time around each of the Learners listened to the women who had rented out the truck as they shared what Planned Parenthood does, they asked questions, and they thanked them. They even asked if they could get a picture with the volunteers. I missed out on that feel good moment though, as I was focused on getting us to 7-Eleven and then to the pick-up point in time.

The day was an exciting and positive one for most Learners, but I was pretty down on how the day played out. I saw legislators prioritizing the wants of their political base instead of centering the needs of those most vulnerable to the pandemic. I also saw Learners focusing on their desires for food or comfort over the needs of others to feel seen and welcome. We are all learning and growing together, and I recognize that many younger people have not had a lot of practice prioritizing the needs of others, especially those who have spent thousands of hours trapped in conventional schools. I committed to raising these issues the next day at the Check-in and Change-up.

The other cell had a much easier day. Two Learners researched what to feed ducks and brought corn for them. There was leaf printing on clay. And after spending half the day at the lake, they spent the second half of the day at a water fall where they tried to dam up the stream and played in the woods.

Day 118 of AY20-21: frustration, challenging conversations, and lessons learned

April 7th was day 118 of our pandacademic year. On this day we would have four Learners, one prospective Learner, and two Facilitators present. For the morning meeting I was the game master, and I said that we respond to prompts by the second letter of our first name. Then the Learners took over figuring out the order.

Facilitator Ariel was leading the morning meeting and he started by reminding everyone that they had agreed to focus on houselessness that day. One of the Learners said that she wanted to find ways to have conversations with some houseless folks, which was an ongoing goal of hers but that she was not feeling confident about engaging in. In response to the prompts, we each shared how we were feeling, we shared something that we do with our family that we wish we could share with our friends, and then we discussed the types of activities we could engage in to positively impact the lives of houseless folks? What we came up with was passing out snacks and water; helping procure tents, food, and clothing; giving the houseless money; organizing a tent drive; giving folks bottles of waters and shoes; helping folks feel seen, greeting them, and smiling at them with our eyes; and “jump in Antonio’s car and drive near my house where we can give them money.”

Once we were finished with the meeting the Learner who wanted to talk to some of the houseless folks walked toward a spot where a couple of tents were set up. She was nervous, but after talking to me and Facilitator Ariel she was ready to give it her best shot. But the delay led to the Learners turning in toward each other and away from discomfort. It was then that I noticed that some of the Learners were not exactly welcoming in the shadowing prospective Learner. I took a picture of how their body positioning seemed exclusionary, and then invited the Learner who was most obviously walling off the shadower over for a conversation. I raised what I had observed, and produced the photo when the Learner expressed disbelief that he could be doing that with his body. We then spoke briefly about how it may feel to be excluded, and then I stepped back and let the Learner go back and join the others, who by that time had welcomed the shadower into the circle.

Everyone then walked toward the bridge where the tents were. There were several folks at the encampment, but the Learner focused her energy on one woman who was receptive to the conversation. Eventually Facilitator Ariel and a young Learner joined in on the conversation, while most of the other Learners stood back and stared. The Learner in charge asked the woman what they could use, and the woman gave her a list of some food items and requested a calendar, as well.

After the conversation I pulled in the Learners who did not engage with anyone and told them how awkward it seemed to just stand around and watch, and about my concern that folks are seen as a project to be worked on or an exhibit to stare at. We talked about the problem of poverty porn where people (usually Westerners) go into poverty-stricken areas (such as slums) to just stare at people who are suffering without material resources. The Learners were getting more feedback this week about interacting with the world than many of them had had in quite some time.

The exchange with the houseless folks took up a lot of our early morning energy, having really stretched many of the Learners out of their comfort zone, and they were ready to move on. It seemed like an eternity for us to eventually move toward Pease Park, where we had hoped to run into more houseless folks. Along the way, there were some more challenging conversations about honoring safety boundaries, and not sitting on macadam in the middle of a hot, sunny day.

We broke up into two groups, Facilitator Ariel and a young Learner who was struggling, and me with all the other Learners. We had the same destination, but chose not to take the same path. I let the adolescent Learners lead the way, and it was the shadowing prospective Learner who figured out which direction to walk in. When we got to the park we were disappointed to find it fenced off, and I asked aloud if they thought the entire park was closed, or just that section. Wanting to avoid asking questions of strangers, the Learners decided that they would just walk around the edge of the fencing until they could enter the park. Unfortunately, that took them up a hill and folks were getting pretty tired. At some point there was an option to walk on a trail into the park after the fencing ended, and the Learners turned to me to ask if they should walk in at that point. I reminded them that they were in charge, and I was following their lead. They chose not to go in, which was unfortunate because it was a much softer walk, in the shade, and led right into the park.

When we finally found another way in all the Learners but the shadower charged down an animal trail. I told the shadower that I planned to just walk 20 meters further and turn into a wide open portion of the park. Once we got into the park we waited for the other Learners to emerge from the brush. We then found a picnic table and settled in waiting for Facilitator Ariel and the other Learner to show. We were all quite impressed with the park (I was the only one who had been at the park before) and everyone was talking about how much they would love to come back sometime. The only question was how far of a walk it was! (more on this later)

It took Facilitator Ariel and the other Learner quite some time to get the park, partly because of the struggles the Learner was dealing with, and partly because they came across a great climbing tree along their way. They also found an excellent water crossing that allowed them to easily enter the park without having to walk all the way to 24th Street.

Once they arrived, Facilitator Ariel and I broke off to talk about several issues, while all the Learners talked, and then found their way to another large tree to climb. It was such a great climbing tree that we decided to take a group picture of us on it or hanging off of it.

Eventually I offered to play Murder of Crows with everyone, and they debated whether or not they wished to play. I told them that we needed six people to play, and that if they wanted to play they needed to settle in so we could play. They were not eager to play, so I told them that we could try again later in the week if they like, and I put the game away. But then, after I put the game away, about ten minutes later, they came back and said that they were ready to play. I said that I had just put the game away and was no longer interested in playing, and was content to just talk with Facilitator Ariel at that point.

The Learners found plenty of other ways to entertain themselves until 3:00 p.m. when they asked if we should walk back. In spite of walking well over 2.5 miles to get to the park, we were actually just a stone’s throw away from our starting point. We just happened to walk in the opposite direction of the park a good distance until we started walking to the park. Facilitator Ariel and I said we were ready to head back if they liked, although it seemed a bit early. They then began to head out, following the lead of one of the older Learners. As they moved out, the youngest Learner cried out that they were going in the wrong direction. Each wanted to go back the way they came, and neither trusted that the path that the other group came on would get them back quickly. Facilitator Ariel and I asked each how they knew their way was the shortest. Eventually everyone agreed that the younger Learner probably knew the shortest route back (and they were right).

We returned to the drop-off point after walking 3.4 miles. We reflected on our day and we all agreed that we appreciated the experience of going to a new park. To end the day we talked about what we would do the next day, to include bringing the houseless folks some of the stuff that they requested. Different folks each committed to bringing bread, cheese, granola bars, water, and a calendar. It was a long day with a good amount of frustration, challenging conversations, and lessons learned. What I would call a good day.

They had a very different, much more relaxing and refreshing experience at the other cell:

Day 117 of AY20-21: I yelled at a Learner

Tuesday was day 117 of the pandemic year and the first day of shadowing for a prospective Learner. We started out the day with a morning meeting where we led with announcements. My announcement was I did not want to wait until the end of the day to do our social justice oriented activity, as that risked us not getting to it. Plus, it was easier for a couple of Learners to do it early in the day rather than later in the day. We then each introduced ourselves with our name, pronouns, how long we have been here, and what our favorite thing about Abrome was. The favorite things responses were interesting: no dominating hierarchy, the community and the people inside it, learning more about myself and the world and feeling less alone, less “fights” (i.e., struggles between teachers and student than there are at school), having new people come to Abrome.

That Tuesday was also a huge step up in terms of our intentionality on social justice for the social justice oriented Flying Squad. We agreed that we were going to pick up trash again, and we got right to it after the morning meeting. We spent a lot of time picking up trash on the walk that morning, and it would lead us into many deep conversations and lessons learned. Also, some songs. I don’t know how I did not know, but apparently the Learners and Facilitator Ariel have sung “the Abromies go marching two by two, hurrah, hurrah” before, and their rendition on this day was fabulous, until a turtle stole the show.

Facilitator Ariel and I tried to help the Learners recognize where they were physically within the city, and we would point out landmarks and help them orient themselves based on places they’ve been with the Flying Squad this cycle, or prior to the pandemic. We also talked about why and how the trash accumulates in certain places. Some tried to turn the pickup in to a competition, but Facilitator Ariel specifically requested that we not compete, and that we just work together.

In total we had four large heavy duty garbage bags with us between seven people on what should have been a pretty clean trail along the river on the west side of downtown Austin. We were filling up the bags pretty quickly though, leading us to believe that either the city does not clean up very often, or that they don’t clean up at all, or Austinites are particularly challenged at finding trash cans for their trash.

As we were going under the 6th street bridge above Shoal Creek the youngest Learner looked in a large storm drain and said, “why is someone sleeping in there?” I asked him to step away so that we could talk about it. At that time an adolescent Learner walked over to it to look in, and I told him, “please do not look in there, leave the person alone.” He said, “I just want to look,” and I replied, “no, do not look in there. Leave them alone.” He then said he was going to look and proceeded to bend down to look in there and I yelled, “[name], step away now!” It was the third time I’ve yelled at a Learner since I’ve been at Abrome. It shocked everyone, including the Learner. One of the benefits of yelling once every two years is that it brings everything to a halt. I then had a conversation with the Learner about how little privacy and dignity are afforded to the houseless, and how our curiosity does not justify us disregarding their privacy and dignity. The Learner was naturally defensive and upset, but on the topic of honoring the humanity of those who are already marginalized in society I was not going to let this moment pass without explaining clearly what my concerns were. As I was talking to the Learner about it Facilitator Ariel was talking to all the other Learners about the necessity to not cause harm, and how easy it is for people who have privilege to hurt others.

A bit further down the trail the Facilitators stepped away so the Learners could discuss where they wanted to take the day. As we were standing and sitting around a middle aged man came walking by and jokingly told us not to pick up his bed roll that was sitting under the bridge. It was a joke that fell flat, as no one thought that joking about being homeless was in the least bit amusing. Particularly in that moment. The Learners eventually decided that they wanted to find a place to dump the trash, go to the bathroom, and then make their way north to The Texas State Capitol grounds to hang out, with a stop for some food along the way.

We emerged from the trail to a spot that conveniently had a dumpster waiting for us, and after we took a photo with our haul, we dumped the trash. I expected that we would then begin to walk but a woman with a dog came by and the Learners asked if they could pet the dog, and then they got into an extended conversation with the woman. Facilitator Ariel and I used the time to talk about the difficulties that we had under the bridge and what role we can play in helping Learners decenter themselves when necessary.

Soon thereafter we stumbled upon a bike shop that Facilitator Ariel’s friend works at. There, he talked about difficult situation that arose for the shop the prior summer during the protests and uprising around racial injustice and police brutality. The shop had a contract with the police department, and decided to end their contract, and that led to a lot of harassment directed at the bike shop. The harassment included threats of violence against the shop, even though the high profile owner of the shop expressed very reactionary, conservative views of the necessity of policing.

Facilitator Ariel and most of the Learners then went to a nearby park to use a public restroom, while I stayed with two Learners who wanted to get some food at a local corner store. Both Learners bought food, and sat down to eat, and I pulled out my lunch. As I was finishing, Facilitator Ariel and the other Learners came back.

One of the Learners who stuck around had found two skateboards without wheels and was playing around on them. He was practicing a variety of moves, and when Facilitator Ariel showed up, he also got into the act. It was during this time that it became apparent to me that I am definitely not the cool Facilitator. Just kidding, I already knew that.

We then continued to move north toward The Capitol, although the youngest Learner began to struggle. It may have been the salty food he bought coupled with not drinking enough water. We all slowed down for him and waited. I was proud of how the Learners recognized the need to support the struggling Learner instead of walking off.

One of the great things about the day was that the long walk allowed us to have a bunch of different types of conversations. For example, while walking one of the Learners asked Facilitator Ariel if he could touch his hair. I intervened and asked to speak to the Learner. I told the Learner that it is inappropriate to ask Black people to touch their hair, and that American history is one that has never honored the bodily autonomy of Black people. I asked him if he had ever been told not to ask Black people to touch there hair, he said no, and I said that that’s okay. Today was the day, and even though he may be curious that, once again, there are times when curiosity must be put on pause. Not only did he not ask again, but he later walked up to Facilitator Ariel and apologized.

Also on the long walk, we came upon a houseless musician who spoke with us about his art, about his experience in Austin, and about concerns he had about Austin and society. For some of the Learners, it was their first ever extended conversation with a houseless person. I hope that it helped move the perception of danger a bit, as a local group has been spending lots of money trying to convince Austinites that the houseless are a threat to public safety so that people will vote to further criminalize homelessness (by making it illegal to camp or sleep in public).

When we got to the Capitol some people collapsed to the ground and slept. Facilitator Ariel and a young Learner got goofy with the GoPro. Later, that Learner wanted to roam the grounds to look at the statues and Facilitator Ariel offered to join him. As they went from one statue to another, they talked about what the statues represented. When they got to the large statue glorifying the Confederacy, they discussed why it was so prominently placed, and so tall. They then contrasted that to the African-American and the Mexican-American statues nearby. In reflection, Facilitator Ariel and I agreed that the variety of experience and conversations we had that day fully justified our move away from Barton Springs and to House Park. We were finally able to focus on social justice.

As the day was coming to a close we let the Learners lead us back to the pickup point. One of the Learners took charge, and began walking in the wrong direction. Two other Learners expressed concern that they were going in the wrong direction, but had differing opinions on which way to go. Eventually they checked out a map on the shadower’s phone, and they began heading in the right direction. Later, they got stuck again. With a lot of confusion, fueled by exhaustion, the youngest Learner implored them to follow him. Eventually they did, and he led us right back. It was a remarkably remarkable day in retrospect.

Meanwhile, at the other cell they made friends with two ducks, discovered berries on a favorite tree and used an app to determine that they were mulberries, investigated a stick with dried up zebra mussels on it, and largely just enjoyed having a very large public space primarily to themselves for the day.

Day 116 of AY20-21: games to play

Monday, April 5th was day 116 of the pandacademic year. While most of the best news about Abrome comes on the weekdays, that weekend was really great news for the Abrome community—Facilitators Ariel and Lauren got their second Covid-19 vaccination shots! Facilitator Ariel got his on Saturday so he was present with the Flying Squad, but because Facilitator Lauren got hers on Sunday her entire cell was remote for the day. The Flying Squad was now starting our days out at House Park instead of near Barton Springs because we wanted to make it easier for us to focus on social justice issues (the goal of this specialty Flying Squad cell) and less on food.

As I wrote in the day 115 post, we decided to hold off the Check-in and Change-up until Monday so that the adolescent Learners could participate. The plan kinda worked, as one Learner was still absent. But first we did the morning meeting where we each responded to two prompts. The first was focused on something we wanted to accomplish during the week: drink water, a social justice oriented direct action each day, a good walk around the city, play one of Antonio’s fun games, games Antonio was doing, go to the skate park, and continue focusing on social justice problems. The second prompt asked us each how we were encouraged last week: Antonio kept reminding me to drink water, watching you all climb the tall structure at the playground, seeing Mikey doing “dumb stuff” on the slide, Antonio told me to go home (knee), baby children on slide drew me in, and Kaden jumped off swing so I jumped. I felt seen.

After the morning meeting we had a really great Check-in and Change-up, which focused on taking care of others.

After the Check-in and Change-up one of the adolescent Learners asked to speak with Facilitator Ariel about a “mom joke” he made on Friday. He was quite upset because of how it upset Facilitator Ariel, and Facilitator Ariel had stated previously how that was a boundary for him and on Friday he again made clear how hurtful those jokes were. As the Learner became overwhelmed with emotion, Facilitator Ariel asked if they could hug, and the Learner took him up on the offer.

One of the younger Learners observed this from afar, and when Facilitator Ariel and the adolescent Learner were finished, the young Learner went up to the adolescent Learner and asked if he could also hug him, and the Learner said yes.

I came into the week eager to try to play two different games with the Learners. One was Murder of Crows which was created by our Brooklyn Flying Squad friends, and the other was FairPlay which was created by Alex Khost of Flying Squads, and his brother, when they were younger. The Learners indicated an interest in both in the morning meeting and after wandering into a city park and taking a lot of time to just sit and talk, or climb into trees and contemplate, we all gathered around a bench to give FairPlay a shot.

None of us had played FairPlay before, so we did our best to try to figure it out and have fun doing so. It seemed pretty complicated to me—I guess I’m used to simple games with simple rules like chess and football. One of the adolescent Learners volunteered to be the Game Master and helped move us along, and everyone seemed to have enough fun. Enough fun that they insisted on playing again the next day.

The day went quickly. It was fun playing FairPlay and just being around each other again, in a relaxed, playful way. But more than one person felt that we once again failed to really engage with a social justice issue, so at the afternoon meeting we discussed how we could do more than say we wanted to do something. We agreed that on Tuesday we would do a garbage pickup. Then for the rest of the week we would look to engage with the homeless, make some trouble at the Texas State Capitol, and try to challenge some adults’ conceptions of the rights of young people.

Day 115 of AY20-21: limping along

Friday, April 2nd, was Day 115 of the pandacademic year. It would be a sparsely populated day with only three Learners showing up, with one of the Learners planning to be there for only half a day as she had a planned Girl Scouts meetup in the early afternoon, and Facilitator Ariel arriving late dealing with some insurance related issues because his car got rear-ended the day prior.

For this day, we decided that we would hold off on the Check-in and Change-up until Monday so that three Learners who were not present (they carpool together) could participate. In our morning meeting we each shared what was something that others could do that day to make us feel comfortable. The answers really highlighted the different wants and needs of the four of us who were at the meeting: acknowledge when I speak to you, staying at a pace I can keep up with (boot), going to the convenience store, and consider my feelings.

The request to go at a slow pace was because a Learner developed shin splints from all the walking that week, and was wearing a boot. We encouraged her to consider sitting it out for the day, and thought she would with the three oldest Learners not attending that day, but she was insistent that she wanted to be there. With her in a boot we felt that it made sense for us to slowly move toward the meetup point where she would me the other Girl Scouts, so we planned to walk along the south side of hike and bike trail toward the Congress Street bridge. This would allow us to walk on a softer surface, under more shade, and without the hassle and noise of car traffic.

I’ll be honest, it was a difficult morning for us. In addition to the low turnout (which can bring people down), one Learner showed up really upset about our focus on safety (e.g., drinking water, not running into the roads) and that energy stayed with him for much of the day. During the walk he tended to walk behind everyone swinging a long stick, which required multiple reminders to be mindful of people who are walking, running, or biking on the trail.

As we walked down the trail we turned around a bend with a view of the lake next to a small hill next to a baseball field. That led to a moment of sensory overload:

Learner 1: what’s that smell!?
Learner 2: trash?
Learner 1: dog poop?
Facilitator Antonio: I think it’s a dead carcass
Learner 2: oh yeah, look at that!
Everyone: 🤢🤮

Another reason it was a difficult morning for us was that another Learner was having challenges engaging with others in a way that made folks feel good. For example, the Learner wondered out loud why a duck was always in the field behind us at our meetup location. We agreed he might be there for food, and he said that maybe people were throwing bread out and I said that maybe he was there to eat snails. He said I was wrong—ducks do not eat snails. I said I was pretty sure they did, because I have seen video of them eating snails. He said that ducks would not be able to break the shells, and I said that they swallowed them whole. But since we were talking about birds eating snails and the challenge of getting them out of their shells, I said that roadrunners can eat snails by breaking their shells on rocks. He again told me that I was wrong. I challenged him and asked him why he felt the need to tell people they are wrong about something when they are not, and I said that it was okay to have gaps in knowledge. This has been an ongoing conversation that we will continue to come back to.

As we continued to walk, Facilitator Ariel met up with us on the hike and bike trail. By this time the struggles of one of the Learners became worse, as he needed to urinate and there were no public bathrooms where we were located on the hike and bike trail, but at the same time he did not want to walk down the path to find one. Then, he suddenly walked off in front of the group looking for a bathroom, leaving us (including the Learner in a boot) behind. Fortunately with Facilitator Ariel present we could accommodate the different speeds of the Learners.

After the bathroom break, we agreed that we would walk north on the First Street bridge, and then walk down Cesar Chavez, stop at a roadside restaurant for some Mexican food for those who needed to purchase lunch, and then walk south on Congress to the meet up point for Girl Scouts. We would walk by the houseless encampment that we previously went to.

We soon came upon two Austin Police Department cops speaking to two different houseless folks, with one of them being very upset and angry at the police. With Facilitator Ariel present, I asked the upset person if they wanted someone to stand there and observe the interaction, and she said, “yes, please.” I looked at Facilitator Ariel and he said that he’d stay with the Learners, asked me if I was good, and then I fell back and made my presence known. I kept my phone by my side in case I felt that I would need to begin to record. As Facilitator Ariel walked away he had a conversation with the Learners about why I would choose to observe the situation, why he asked if I was good, and what risk standing there posed to me. It was a good conversation for our social justice oriented Flying Squad.

After the cops left, I nodded to the houseless lady and began to walk back toward the Learners. They were already at the meetup spot for the Girl Scouts with some of the Learners eating lunch. I got back just in time to see off the Learner who was limping, and then watch the other Learners throw a frisbee around with Facilitator Ariel.

Now with only two Learners and a stellar 1:1 Learner-to-Facilitator ratio, we talked about how we wanted to spend the rest of our day. Both Learners said the wanted to walk back by a fast food restaurant and a corner store for food, and they wanted to pass by the playground we spent time at earlier in the week. We had a conversation about the challenges we have had getting back to the pick-up point on time during the cycle, and our concern that if we stopped for food we may not be able to make it. We came to agreement that if everyone was able to drink 2/3rds of their water, make time for me to film the daily update, and get to the fast food restaurant by 3:00 p.m., that we could make it back by the end of the day. Suddenly a day of frustration from the Learners started to shift, and they became much more intentional. Access to sugar and fried food can be a powerful motivator.

By the time we got back for the afternoon roundup everyone was in a much better mood than when we were that morning. Although the large intake of water and a milk shake left one Learner not feeling that great in the stomach. At the afternoon roundup we did rose-bud-thorn for the week, we discussed what we could practice that weekend, and what we would do to prepare for the next week.

Meanwhile, at the other cell a Learner received a birthday card; there was lots of climbing up, over, and around obstacles; and another danger noodle was admired.

Day 111 of AY20-21: lots of social justice conversations

I’m going to try to catch up on the daily blog posts between now and the end of cycle 9, which runs from April 19th to May 11th. I fell behind as things had gotten quite busy with the latest info session and more people becoming interested in going through the admissions process at Abrome, and the age-old problem of thinking that if you’re already behind you can just throw another delayed blog post to the pile.

Monday, March 29th would be our last day before people started coming back from quarantine in the specialty cell that I was in with Facilitator Ariel, the Flying Squad. I wanted to start the week strong with the few who were not in quarantine, so I asked the group what was interfering with our ability to focus on social justice. The answers included that our drop off point was too far west, that some were uninterested, that some were distracted by food, and that some were too focused on spending money. On this day we committed to supporting a Learner’s focus on houselessness, a big issue in Austin right now as there is a campaign to criminalize the houseless. We agreed to walk to a mural of Wonder Woman in downtown Austin that was across the street from an encampment, so that the Learner could hand out cliff bars and water to the houseless and engage with them about some of the challenges that they are facing. We agreed that we would stop by some food trucks to appease the fixation that some Learners had on buying food (that they cannot easily get at home).

One of the Learners who had been wearing hiking boots had been struggling as of late, and we were thrilled to see that he got a new pair of sneakers, which he later reported made his walking experience much more comfortable. With better shoes we were all comfortable taking a different path in search of new experiences. As we walked there was lots of conversation about social justice oriented concerns. Two of the Learners had made comments about how they were uncomfortable around the houseless, so Facilitator Ariel asked them to talk about their fears. This led them to discussing what type of prejudices are common in society, and how such prejudices can infect us.

Meanwhile, on the walk I got to speak with the Learner who was on a mission to learn more about how she could impact the issue of houselessness. She admitted that she did not know how to talk to houseless folks, and worried that she would not be able to talk to them in a way that made them feel comfortable. I suggested that she talk to them as she would anyone that she was meeting on the street for the first time, and then we talked about strategies to do so. Fortunately she brought food and drinks that she could offer folks which would serve as a potential segue into a conversation between two people who are curious about one another. I also brought up my concerns about coming across as someone who is probing people for information, with the assumption that they can solve their problems. Specifically, we talked about the notion of white saviorism, and how that could potentially play into such interactions. The Learner was quite nervous, but eager to consider ways of being that would prevent her from unknowingly doing harm.

When we got to the Wonder Woman mural we took a break to drink water while the Learner who was leading the way prepared to engage with the folks at the encampment. I was really impressed with the way that the Learner acknowledged her fear, and then made her way into the encampment offering support and looking for conversation. Unfortunately for her, it was the middle of the day and hot, so a lot of folks were not available to speak with her. Nonetheless, she engaged with some houseless folks. The two other Learners who had admitted to being uncomfortable around the houseless observed her efforts, and it was nice to see their perceptions challenged.

Then we walked across the Congress Street bridge where we came up on one of the large office buildings, where I noticed a bunch of studs that were placed on the marble that ran along long rows of raised plant beds. I asked the Learners if they knew why the studs were added to the marble, assuming that it was to prevent houseless folks from laying down, which would have been quite topical given the mission for the day. A Learner guessed that it was to prevent skateboarders from using it, and I replied, “actually …” and went into an explanation of what hostile architecture (or anti-homeless architecture) is. Facilitator Ariel then interjected and said that actually that particular type of stud is meant to prevent skateboarders from using it, and then we talked about the differences between anti-skateboard architecture and hostile architecture. It was a really good moment for me to model to a Learner that it was okay to be wrong, and to learn from it.

As we continued to walk, one of the Learners asked me if I was excited about the Godzilla vs. Kong movie that was coming out. I told him I was uninterested in watching any King Kong movies as they were rooted in anti-Black racism. This caught the Learner off-guard, and he explained that his desire to watch the movie had nothing to do with racism, and then he began to talk about how great the movie was going to be. I acknowledged that his interest in the movie was not rooted in racism, but that the movie was, and that I was willing to talk to him about why they are racist. But that I was not interested in talking to him about his arguments for why he would watch the movie in spite of their racist history. He then took the conversation to Facilitator Ariel, who likewise told him that he was not interested in talking about the movie. The day was shaping up to be one that really challenged this Learner’s beliefs.

We continued to walk in support of a Learner’s mission to engage with the houseless, and we focused on walking toward the Arch near 7th and Red River. As we were walking an individual began walking with us, trying to engage with us. One Learner asked, ‘why was the homeless guy trying to talk to us,’ and we asked him why he assume the person was houseless. This led to another conversation about prejudices and assumptions.

After we stopped so the Learner could hand out some more water and cliff bars, we decided that it was time for the Learner and Facilitator Ariel to get some long overdue lunch. We made our way back to Congress so that we could stop at a convenience store where they could grab food. When we arrived, however, there were a handful of Austin Police Officers standing around. All the Learners wanted to go in, so I offered to watch over their bags at some tables reserved for customers of the store. Facilitator Ariel recognizing that I would be out there around APD cops asked me if I would be alright, which one of the Learners picked up on. Facilitator Ariel then explained to her why he asked that given my past experiences with the Austin Police Department, and the need for us all to be watching out for one another.

After Facilitator Ariel and the Learner got some food, and another Learner got himself some seaweed and a drink, we settled in to eat our lunches. I ate a sandwich that I had packed in my bag, while another Learner ate from a bag of chips that he had brought along. It was restful sitting there and eating and talking with one another in the shade, and we were in no hurry to get going. When we finally finished and as we were packing up, Facilitator Ariel got a call from a friend who wanted him to know that they were at the sight of a protest where people were getting arrested. We were only two and a half blocks away, so we decided to walk in that direction.

When we arrived at protest site at 4th and Congress, where Garrett Foster, a supporter of Black Lives Matter, was killed the past summer, we noticed that police had shut down the street and surrounded the group of protesters who were yelling at them. We later found that the police had come up on the protest and threatened to arrest the protesters, to include Garrett’s finance, Whitney, a Black woman and quadriplegic who was with Garrett when he was killed the prior summer. Two white women then positioned themselves between the police and Whitney, which led to the police arresting one of the women, shoving the other woman out of the road, and dumping Whitney out of her wheelchair into the gutter. Understandably, the protesters were outraged by the actions of the police, and from a safe distance I was able to talk to the Learners about what had happened and why the police were so antagonistic toward these protesters in particular.

As the police relocated away from the protesters, and as the protest died down, we began to walk back toward the pick-up point at Zilker Park. During the walk one of the younger Learners expressed how concerned he was for Facilitator Ariel during the incident, and how he wanted him to avoid the police so that he would not be arrested. Facilitator Ariel explained to the Learner that as a Black man he does not get the luxury of just avoiding the police in Austin, but that he would do his best to not engage with them. It was a heavy day for the Learners, as we had several extended conversations about houselessness, racism, and police brutality.

Because of the unexpected stop at the protest site, we really needed to move. While one of the Learners no longer needed to stop at the food truck because he ate at the convenience store, one of the Learners still hadn’t been able to get any food, and that was his main objective for the day. Facilitator Ariel agreed to jog with him to P. Terry’s while the rest of us would go straight to the pickup point. Our path took us by Trader Joe’s, where the Learner had previously gotten boxes of organic jelly beans, and asked if we could stop in to buy some more. I reminded him that he agreed to go straight back, and that he agreed to keep walking. We made such good time that we were able to spin around some bars along the river, and got back to the pick up point with time to spare.

Once Facilitator Ariel and the other Learner joined us we settled in for a great afternoon roundup. We noted that each of us had walked 6.2-7.2 miles that day, and we were able to really dive into some social justice topics. All in all, it was a really great day for us as a Flying Squad.

Meanwhile, at the other cell:

Day 103 of AY20-21: Flying Squad practice run

The Abrome Day began like so many before it, I woke up and I began to prepare for a day that would likely be completely different than the one before it. However, instead of heading to the drop-off spot that gave us access to over 200 acres of park space, as we have done each day of this cycle, I geared up and drove to Zilker Park. Because of the unfamiliar drop off point, I decided to arrive before 9:30 and prepare and set up for the arrival of learners. 

Scavenger hunt checklist

In accordance to other Flying Squad groups, our day was focused on taking up space in a society that does not see children as people. More specifically, we had three goals for the day that we collectively agreed on earlier in the week: 

1. Go to Shake Shack (S. Lamar)

2. Go to Fresa’s (N. Lamar)

3. Meet up with one of my contacts from Austin Mutual Aid at the Long Center of the Performing Arts

Additionally, I had created this photo scavenger hunt that the Learners could choose to participate in, with the intention of helping them be more aware of their surroundings.

As Learners began to arrive around 10 o'clock, I began handing out the photo scavenger cards. Unfortunately one of the Learners that committed to attending was not able to make it, so we were one person light in our adventure. We began the day like any other by holding space for the morning meeting. Our prompts were are you prepared for the day, and what is one thing you brought to be prepared. Everyone said that they were prepared, and the collection of items brought included a rain jacket, money for sustenance, an umbrella and money and water, and a breakfast taco.

Because Learners were still excited to get the Scavenger Hunt going, we decided to take the scenic route by crossing over into the main Zilker Park area. There, a Learner was able to take a “funky group photo” of a family playing volleyball, while others checked off photos of murals, pets, and wild animals.

We also had the time and space to begin using the goPro and to have a conversation about offensive language, and the context that it is often used in. After a brief discussion (only five minutes), we continued our journey to the first destination; SHAKE SHACK! While admitting to a little nervousness, the Learners began to enjoy the differences between the park and city environments. As cars and people passed by in close proximity, we continued to joke, take photos, and march on with what we thought were unlimited reserves of energy. 

By 11:40 we had made the 1.3 mile uphill hike to Shake Shack! While three of the Learners were not interested in having shakes, myself and a Learner ordered strawberry and black-and-white shakes, respectively.

We took the time to rest and then began the downhill walk back towards the city center, headed toward our next stop. At 12:30, we arrived at the Long Center of the Performing Arts to meet with community organizers from Austin Mutual Aid and Austin Needs Water. Because our upcoming (March 22nd) Flying Squad cell will be focused on social justice topics, it was important for the group to have a chance to meet with some community organizers. However, before scheduling the meeting I asked the Learners if they would be interested in doing so. Three-fifths of the Learners who committed to attending seemed very excited while the other two intimated that while they were not particularly interested, they would be okay with joining. 

The organizers (Wesley, Dan, and Iffy) were thrilled to meet the group and quickly began to discuss the importance of their work. Wesley began the conversation by talking about his background, his experience during the ice storm, and how he found himself becoming involved with Austin Needs Water. Dan and Iffy followed him in relating that they too were not trained in community organizing, but had simply chosen to answer the call to serve the community. With them they brought the only resources they felt they could offer: their time, energy, specific expertise, and love for the community. Together, they relayed to the Learners the importance of (1) creating community systems of action that were not reliant on governments, (2) walking it and talking it, and (3) setting a better precedent for future generations (e.g., the Learners). Despite having to hear one or two anti-capitalism rants that Facilitator Antonio would have been proud of, the Learners remained present and afterwards told me that they enjoyed the meeting. One of the Learners still focused on the Scavenger Hunt asked if any of the AMA organizers would be willing to take a “funky group photo” with him! 

At the conclusion of that meet-up, we began the 1.4 mile walk to Fresa’s for lunch. Taking Ann and Roy Butler Hike Trail led us to the Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge, where we noticed a familiar graffiti tag on the parallel train bridge (TOEFLOP) and paused to wonder how they were able to paint it so high up! We continued our trek, only pausing briefly to take a selfie at the ATX statue in front of Whole Foods, and finally made it to Fresa’s  around 2 pm. 

Due to the grueling nature of our hike, each Learner and Facilitator ordered something to eat! We forded a small creek and enjoyed our meal socially distanced at Duncan Neighborhood Park. The Learner who suggested Fresa’s swore that everything on the menu was “bussin” and the group's post meal reviews corroborated that statement. Once everyone was done eating, we began the final leg of the day—back to the pickup spot. 

Despite several of us having full tummies and tired legs, we made it back by 3:30, our usual Afternoon Roundup time. After taking some time to rest, we began the meeting with the Rose, Bud, Thorn prompt (Favorite part, something with potential/could help you be better prepared, and Least Favorite). Roses included Shake Shack, Fresa’s (x2), Doing lots of things and making it back on time, and walking 6.2 miles. The Buds were dressing better, wearing better shoes, bringing the correct SD card, preparing oneself for long walks, and repeating the prep for the day. Thorns (not surprisingly) were mainly focused on physical exertion: feet hurting, feet & body hurts, took forever to find a suitable bathroom, walking 6.2 miles, and walking full of Fresa’s. We wrapped up with announcements and final thoughts of the day. 

Announcements included discussing what the rest of the week would look like, multiple “hi’s”, and a call to reflect upon what it means and will look like to commit to the Flying Squads cell for the duration of the next cycle. Learners then reflected upon the day and said that they had a lot of fun, but were definitely surprised about the mileage.

If we want students to think for themselves, let them.

Last week, a group of Ivy League scholars published an open letter urging college bound students to "Think for Yourself."

Unfortunately for most students, thinking for oneself is really difficult because most students, especially the ones who manage to get into the Ivy League, have spent their academic years doing the opposite of thinking for themselves--they have allowed themselves to be shaped by others, seeking to perform perfectly as charged by adults. They have been rewarded for neither questioning the dominant narratives in society nor questioning authority.

The letter, however, seems to focus more on the debate over whether schools should be safe spaces for all, or if people with oppressive agendas (e.g., promoting racism, fascism, patriarchy) should be shut down in order to maintain that safe space. Or as The Atlantic puts it, should schools focus on "seeking truth" or "advancing social justice."

Contrary to what social psychologist Jonathan Haidt argues, we do not need to make binary tradeoffs between the two. As the professors allude to, the truth is the antidote to bigotry. However, debate does not mean entertaining absurdity. Universities should not subject themselves to debates over the virtues of slavery anymore than they should subject themselves to debates over a flat earth theory.

Truth seekers do not fear debate. In fact, they venture into territory where most people refuse to go because it is uncomfortable, and without easy answers. They look backward to learn from the past, but look forward to build a better future. They stand in stark opposition to those who see an earlier era as the ideal, where women, people of color, or LGBTQ folk "knew their place."

Those students who have been convinced to stay in line, follow a prescribed path, and to repeat what their teachers (or parents, preachers, or politicians) laid out as truth are the ones most likely to fall for bigoted ideologies that actively prevent truth from bubbling up in favor of maintaining a status quo that benefits the privileged.

It is the students who have not been beaten down with curriculum, standards, demands for conformity, and prescribed academic tracks that are the most likely to question. And for those who were able to engage in deep, meaningful, and enduring learning experiences in a self-directed manner, they are the most likely to question in an intelligent manner that will inoculate them from embracing simplistic (and often bigoted) explanations for the challenges we face in society.

So students, please, question everything. Challenge yourselves, each other, and your professors. Professors, challenge your students. Take on controversial topics. And parents, do not merely hope that your children will think for themselves once they get into college. Educate yourself on the benefits of self-directed learning, and investigate learning environments such as Abrome, as well as unschooling.

We do not have to subject students to oppressive ideologies that have no place in an intellectual setting in order for students to think for themselves. We simply need to allow them to think for themselves.