In mid-May, the Black Student Union and history teacher Ross Gorman’s Black History class will head to Detroit to the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. 

According to Jerry Jones, BSU advisor, the trip was proposed back in September by the BSU board. Many students were interested in spending time learning more about Black History.

“[The BSU Board] came to me about it, to let me know that this is what they were planning on doing. And then from that point on from that discussion, we let others know that this is what we’re doing,” Jones said. “We planned the field trip and then we got to have the permission slips along with the money.” 

The trip originally started off with only the Black Student Union. As word got around, the Black History class quickly joined in on the plans due to the same field trip being included in Gorman’s curriculum. Originally, Gorman planned for his class to travel not only to The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History but also to the Motown Museum nicknamed “Hitsville U.S.A.” Now, the class will do it together with BSU.

“But as we started to plan more and more, we realized there were more groups that were interested in tagging along as stakeholders so the Black Student Union was interested and had already actually planned a trip and requested to tag along to save some funding for busing,” Gorman said.

Many students have expressed their interest in this trip as a way for the BSU to fellowship and experience a situation together that could be considered a more traumatic experience. 

“I really wanted to go on the trip to experience to Motown Museum for the first time because I’ve already been to the African American Museum,” Lydia Ding-Mejok (11) said. “It would be a new world for me, and I truly want to dig deeper into the history of black music and the Motown Museum would help me do exactly that.” 

Other students are interested in the opportunity to learn and experience different cultures in different settings.

“I’m most excited to learn about other cultures and influences outside of America because I feel like I don’t really know a lot about many cultures that built civilization and grew throughout the ages since and still strive,” Audrey Wheeler (12) said. “I’m looking forward most to being there with physical relics. I’m a very hands-on learner, seeing and almost interacting definitely leaves an impression on my mind.” 

According to Jones, students are still able to sign up to participate in this. By getting a permission slip signed by a guardian, along with a deposit of $25. If financial assistance is needed, BSU is prepared to help students. Both teachers, along with the BSU board, encourage students to sign up and take advantage of this opportunity by the end of April.

“This trip will give students a chance to get a deeper understanding, and dive deeper than what we learn in class,” Nick Acevedo (10) said.