On Friday, October 27, 2017, The Hope Center partnered with Wake County LINKS to travel with a group of 25 teenagers in foster care to the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. This trip gave the young people an opportunity to explore and celebrate African-American culture and history. Tori Marshall, the LINKS coordinator for Wake County, organized the trip and Congressman David Price procured tickets for the group. The Hope Center’s Meredith Yuckman, Program Coordinator, and Kelliann Miranda, Transition Specialist, served as chaperones.
After an early start Friday morning, the group arrived in Washington, D.C. around noon. The youth were overwhelmed by the museum’s powerful exhibits. The whole experience was an emotional one for everyone involved. Meredith Yuckman explained, “The museum is more than the sum of the amazing artifacts it holds. The collections are designed in a way that makes the visit both informative and cathartic. I was thrilled to see how deeply the youth engaged with the collections.” After exploring the museum, the young people walked across the National Mall on a beautiful fall day and took pictures at the monuments.
To cap off a fantastic day, the group ate dinner at Ben’s Chili Bowl, a historic African-American-owned D.C. restaurant with a long history of cultural influence. The group enjoyed a 10-minute video that touched on the history of the restaurant, the community, and the country while highlighting all the celebrities and politicians who frequent Ben’s Chili Bowl, including President Barack Obama who had lunch at Ben’s on his first day in office. The group got back to Raleigh around 1:30 am on Saturday, marking an end to the exciting and meaningful trip.
