For me, the module’s style stood antithetical to my education thus far. I have been drilled in taking notes, articulating my thoughts with fancy words, and regurgitating information rather than claiming it as my own. Thus, I first had to trust in this foreign process and not demean it as stupid or simple. However, trusting the process does not necessarily translate into trusting the people. I may have believed that injustice existed and that this module could act as a transformational tool, but as Freire says, you must trust the people to take ownership of their revolution (Freire, 60). So, the teaching stage of the module was as a constant struggle to truly believe in the men we worked with at Groundcover. Despite their circumstances, we had to believe that they would trust us outsiders, and that together we could learn as humans equally invested in a more just order. However, if we entered as entitled educators, and not as partners in learning, then we would risk merely depositing information void of any empowering qualities.
The second meeting was more productive and enjoyable. I got to know some of the guys on a more personal level, especially Joe. Joe proved to be the most willing to learn and the vendor who really owned the module. He was constantly adding his own variations that made the module fresh and fun. For example, he added a part about not trying to think of new ways for sex, reinforcing the point that abstinence means no sex at ALL. I entered this experience knowing I wanted to treat these vendors as humans, equal to me in every facet except
circumstance. It’s so easy to treat those who have less as inferior and desperate, but acting with that mindset leads to false generosity and a teacher-student dichotomy. While Joe, Michael, and some of the other guys may still call us “teachers”, I believe they also saw us as working on their side.
But, this meeting was not all fun and games. There were some realities that we weren’t equipped to handle. Brian could not stay awake, and while we brought food, there was nothing we could do to increase Brian’s attentiveness and energy level. Michael could not get the A in AIDS, no matter how many times we worked with him. It was always “abstract” or a host of other words that were not “acquired”. What was important about this process was that these men were patient. They had no real reason to trust us, or any proof that we were expert HIV educators, but they remained grounded and intent on learning this module. This patience was inspiring, because even as they dealt with life problems that I cannot imagine, these men were committed to this module process. The lesson learned was two-fold. Firstly, the module has the ability to bring previously inaccessible and complex information into the minds of those who have not had the privilege of higher education, or any substantial education for that matter. Secondly, it shows the need to view whoever you are working with as humans with the ability to learn and the ability to grow and do great things. I believe our 443 group truly followed the second lesson, as we returned to Groundcover another two times, because we knew that these guys would eventually own the module and impress everyone.
Only Joe and Michael showed up to the third meeting, our slated day for one-on-one work. Annika and I worked with Joe, which was incredibly fun and exciting. Joe exhibited an exceptional knowledge and grasp of the module. He moved past just regurgitating, and he went through the whole module, blowing Annika and I away. We were so proud of Joe, but I was somewhat shocked by his performance. Why? Why did I doubt for one second that Joe would step up and own the module? Perhaps, because my conditioning as a University of Michigan student has led me to lack trust in those who society deems lesser. My education has taught me that homeless men need “help”, assistance in the form of food or shelter or other bare essentials. I have never been asked to consider the potential power of learning with and from homeless men. I have never been asked to consider the potential of empowering homeless men so that they can see their own beauty and power as an individual and as an educator in their own right. So, following Freire, we need not only show up and give our time to the oppressed, but we need to teach and learn alongside these men (Freire, 85). So, while we were an integral part of their initial learning of the module, it is now up to Joe and Michael to utilize the module as they see fit.
As the teach back neared, I was filled with feelings of excitement, anxiety, and sadness. I could not wait to see all the hard work that Joe and Michael put into the module. Not only did they show up to every session, but they also practiced on their own time. I was not worried about their performance, I knew they would impress you and then some. I was sad about leaving the Groundcover group, because I genuinely enjoyed getting to know Joe and Michael. They became our friends; we chatted like friends do about real life things and explored issues relevant to but also outside of the module. Any progressive social justice effort must necessarily include this component. If the oppressed see you as mere depositors of information, and fail to see the humanness in the oppressor that claims to be on their side, then trust will not develop (Freire, 78)
