Learning the
Language

Many of the topics that we will examine during this journey together are controversial and often times viewed by our society as taboo. This idea that we should not talk about or acknowledge tensions amongst diverse groups in the United States has created confusion, suspicion, and mistrust. If we are unable to communicate with each other about the problems, then how are we ever going to find solutions? Many would prefer to apply bandages to the problems and only address them superficially without ever digging deeper into the real issues behind them.

The mythical African Sankofa bird provides us all with a good lesson: as it flies forward, it turns its head back to view from where it has come. It is a symbol of the importance of learning from the past.