Today was the first day of our trip to the South, and while we did not really get to see any of the sights planned for the trip, we were able to begin the discussion of social stratification in the American south. We had a very long bus ride from Winston-Salem to Birmingham, and it provided the class with a large amount of time to get to know each other and begin talking about the things we will experience in the next two weeks. We were able to hold class during the trip, which consisted of a combination of lecture and discussion of the readings, student presentations, and documentaries and films about our upcoming destinations. Probably the most interesting discussion we had as a class was concerning our own identifications as northerners or southerners, as well as talking about the stereotypes we have experienced in the south and what it truly means to be a southerner. As a self-proclaimed northerner, I found this conversation extremely interesting because I was able to get a glimpse into the cultural identities of people who consider themselves as southerners. I was also able to contribute to the conversation by discussing the differences I have observed between the north and the south, both good and bad, petty and significant.

After the long drive, we finally settled into the hotel, and headed to dinner at the Irondale cafe, also known as the original Whistle Stop Cafe, which inspired the movie Fried Green Tomatoes. We watched most of the movie on the way to Alabama, therefore it was interesting to experience the place that gave motivation to the well-known southern movie. While I am not much of a tomato fan, I felt that I needed to try the famous fried green tomatoes, which I did, and although they were not my favorite, I’m glad to have been able to experience them. Dinner was a great time, as has been everything else about the trip so far, even the long bus ride! Today, the first day of the trip has only increased my enthusiasm for the entire experience, and I cannot wait for the rest of it. I am especially excited to visit the 16^th Street Baptist Church tomorrow, because I did a report today on the four girls who were killed in a bombing there on September 15^th, 1963. I have really taken an interest in this story because of my presentation, and am really looking forward to seeing the place in person tomorrow.

We arrived at Wake early in the morning to load the bus and leave for Birmingham, Alabama. Today consisted mostly of traveling, but our time on the bus was divided between discussions, movies and nap time. For our first discussion we compared two theories that explain the social stratification systems. While Davis and Moore base one’s success on his/her willingness to make sacrifices and have “what it takes,” Wright takes a different stance. A neo-marxist, Wright discusses the various relationships between the ownership and exploitation of individuals. He says that the unexploitable are viewed as worthless in society; many “unexploitables” are in jail or the ghettos. Furthermore, unexploitable areas, often lower-class areas, contain little to no businesses other than Churches Chicken and a car wash. Wright’s explanation is at the basis for his disapproval of capitalist societies. I thought this dicussion was interesting because I find that people often use Davis and Moore’s claims to justify such high salaries in some professions, or to explain why it’s okay for others to work at minimum wage. Yet there are so many contradictions to this that it would be ignorant to believe that the American Dream, being rewarded for one’s hard work, is a reality. I hope this trip helps me to better understand the fallacies of Davis and Moore’s article and what can be done to change the current situation for those who are not benefited by our system of rewards.

Before we arrived in Birmingham, we watched Fried Green Tomatoes; so for dinner, we ate at the Irondale Cafe (where some of the film was shot). It was fun eating homemade sweet potatoes and fried green tomatoes (although I probably won’t order those ever again). The corn was also noteworthy and I am happy to announce that I have now eaten cream of corn not from a can. Our waiter goes to UAB and his name was Whittely Dikes- that was when I realized we really are in the deep South.

Ready to Roll

At 8 am this morning, everyone had loaded their luggage and was ready to start our 15 day adventure. This is my first experience in a WFU “classroom” outside of the library, so I’ve been very curious about how this will all work! Before we were off-campus, Marcus Ingram began the trip by reading a passage to set the stage for the trip.

Early on, class started as we rolled along the Interstate. Discussions were held about stratification theories. Students had already been given reading assignments and four of them gave oral reports on topics pertinent to our Birmingham destinations tomorrow. I was impressed with how easily they handled what I would see as a major stress on the first day. We also watched a documentary on The Children’s March….all of this before lunch!

I was more than ready for lunch, which we had when we almost reached Atlanta. We stopped at a local spot, Varsity, that boasted great hot dogs - they were…..

After lunch we all talked about whether we see ourselves as Southerners and discussed common assumptions and observations about the South. The last part of the bus ride was spent watching Fried Green Tomatoes, since we planned to dine in the restaurant that inspired the WhistleStop Cafe in the book/movie. It is the Irondale Cafe and was cafeteria style with all the vegetables I love. I went with carrot salad, black-eyed peas, stewed okra and tomatoes, fried green tomatoes (not the best I’ve ever had) and topped it all off with bread pudding. Good initial southern meal, I think.

First Night’s Dining Experience

The promised free wireless in our rooms at the Comfort Inn work for some folks, but not for most of us on the 2nd floor. This is a bit of an issue as the students have daily online assignments. But they promise that the breakfast room has good reception. I’ll see early tomorrow as I’m giving a technology refresher class after breakfast.

We made it to Birmingham after a very loooooong, but entertaining bus trip. It turns out, there is actually real content to this course. Who knew? (jk) Since I had been working on Hancock County Library preparation all week, I did the readings on the bus and my favorite one was the Paul Escott piece (I’ll have to tell him next time I see him). As a Yankee, still going through Southern acclimation, I had a few aha moments. Thanks, Paul!

Another treat was Fried Green Tomatoes, which was just getting good in a whodunit kind of way when we arrived at the Comfort Inn. Tonight we are eating at the restaurant that inspired the WhistleStop Cafe in the film (I’m sure Susan has a link somewhere).

So far, so good!