Hattiloo Theatre

Mr. Bandele was such an engaging speaker! I had so much fun listening to him talk about the history of Hattiloo Theatre and its mission! Because Memphis has such a high African American population, there are many programs designed for the benefit of the Black community. What I found to be so great about Hattiloo is that though it focuses on the works of African American playwrights, it targets the entire community as opposed to just the African American population. Also, I was happy to hear that members of the Hutchison community were particpating in shows at Hattiloo! He was a great speaker, and I cannot wait to see a show at Hattiloo!

Schools that Change

The documentary Schools that Change was extremely enlightening. I had no idea of all the alternative learning methods that schools use. The was students incorporated their community into their lessons way inspiring, and it was great to see how much progress each school has made since they started their progressive initiatives. My favorite part of the trip was listening to Memphis educators discuss the issues they face and how they struggle to make progressive changes in their schools. It was a little upsetting to hear how difficult it is for teachers to resolve the issues they identify in their schools because they do not have the power or control to influence those kinds of decisions. However, seeing Memphis educators actively concerned about their schools and students was exciting and reassuring! It was a fun visit!