The Long Trip was revived in 1998 by Fern Khan, then Dean of Continuing Education, and Carol Hillman, a Bank Street alumna and former Board of Trustees member. Attendees to these "new" Long Trips include students, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of Bank Street. The tenth of these trips took participants to New Orleans in 2009.
Participants learned much about the social, racial and environmental injustices in New Orleans as well as the devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina on the African American, Huoma and Vietnamese communities; experienced outrage over the juvenile justice abuses and were inspired by the advocacy work of the Juvenile Justice Project to challenge the legal system. They enjoyed a special lunch prepared by disadvantaged African American youth being trained at Cafe Reconcile, a non-profit group doing good work for poor citizens and were thrilled to meet so many community activists focused on changing unfair systems and rebuilding communities. They heard of the amazing results using sunflower seeds to remove toxins from the soil from Dillard University faculty and enjoyed the cuisine, beignets, and a jazz performance at Preservation Hall! Powerful learnings. ”
To view a timeline and map of the newer Long Trips, visit the Bank Street Continuing Professional Studies site.
