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An Independent, Coed, Friends School, Nursery Through Grade 12

African American Studies Class Visits Harlem
African American Studies Class Visits Harlem

Moses Brown’s Upper School AP African American Studies class recently traveled to Harlem, NY, for an immersive overnight field trip. To align with their current studies on the Harlem Renaissance, students participated in a guided walking tour of the neighborhood, enjoyed authentic Caribbean and soul food, and explored contemporary works at the Studio Museum.

“One of my highlights was seeing my students immersed in the culture of Harlem and having direct contact with the artifacts, images, and locations we have been studying in the classroom,” said Dr. Kelena Reid, who teaches the course. “Some students are even using primary sources they discovered at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture for their independent research projects, which brings the learning experience back to MB in a very tangible way.”

Browse through trip highlights below:

Luke Anderson, director of MB’s Bayard Rustin Center for Peace and Belonging, with students from the class, in front of the brownstone where Bayard Rustin planned the March.

This is the location of the night club where Billie Holiday was discovered in Harlem. It is still a night club and a place where Jazz musicians gather. Tess and Tyson (above) did a research project on the music and life of Billie Holiday before coming on the trip.

This was the highlight of the trip: a live jazz performance that was held in a local historic black church. These are the students with the music director.

The jazz performance included a spoken word element, and Amelia, Ava, and Lynx had the opportunity to speak with the performer about poetry and spoken word.

New York City bagels in midtown before heading back up to Harlem.

Dr. Reid and students taking in the art and architecture of the Studio Museum in Harlem.

Dr. Reid and students in front of one of the main gallery walls at The Studio Museum.