Community Spotlight: Living the Experience

I recently had the honor of photographing “Living the Experience,” a live reenactment of the Underground Railroad in Lancaster, Pennsylvania that shows regularly at Bethel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church Cultural Center.

I met the Director of the Program, Ondra Haywood, earlier this year at The Ware Center and was excited at the opportunity to be of service to their organization and learn more about my own community.

From the moment my wife and I arrived; we were swept into a riveting presentation of the rich history that their church has in the city and in the Black community in Lancaster. We were given a short presentation on the African Methodist Episcopal Church, which was formed in Philadelphia in the late 1700’s to escape discrimination that kept people of color from worshipping freely. The facilitator then went on to tell us that as participants in the event, we are going to be part of an interactive experience that depicts what it was like to be a newly freed slave arriving in Lancaster during the antebellum period.

We were then led into the church, which has been in Lancaster since 1817, and were led to the pews which truly transported us into another world. We were shocked to see how many amazing talents made up their cast of about two dozen volunteers who played the roles of various important community members in Lancaster at the time. Through monologues, song, and interactions with the audience, they wove a rich and moving tapestry of the turmoil, injustice and resilience that prevailed during the late 1800’s. What I didn’t expect to be the most striking part were the staunch comparisons that the presenters drew to events going on in the present day in our own country. 

The impact that experiencing all of their accounts first-hand had was significant, and poignant in a way that simply reading a book or watching a movie could not have possibly provided. This was compounded by the fact that the characters presented were actual members of the community I was born and raised in, and the events transpired within miles of my own home. Throughout the day we learned a lot. At times we were moved to tears, at others we were made to laugh, but mostly we were provoked to think, to ask questions and to wonder to ourselves how we can do better. 

The day was concluded with a home cooked, Southern-style meal featuring a delicious spread of barbecued meats, comforting sides like green beans with ham hocks, black eyed peas, and corn bread, and the opportunity to socialize with other attendees and reflect. They also host a makers market, where several members of their congregation were selling homemade goods. If you are a local to the Lancaster area, a history buff, or are looking for a new cultural and educational experience, do yourself a favor and Live the Experience. The impact that it had on us was remarkable and won’t be soon forgotten. You should absolutely spend a Saturday checking out this incredible production and can find more information about them and find out the next production date by clicking this link: https://www.discoverlancaster.com/directory/living-the-experience/