Funding aids pilot opportunity for reflection
When East Carolina University alum Dr. Emily Yeager returned to Greenville in 2018 for an assistant professor position in the Department of Recreation Sciences, she looked for an opportunity to reconnect with the community and found reconnection through involvement with the African American Cultural Trail of Greenville-Pitt County.
In search of ways to help advance the development of the trail, Yeager and colleague, Dr. Jennifer Hodgson, applied for and received HHP internal research funding to create a pilot opportunity for reflection, introspection and healing racial trauma at Sycamore Hill Gateway Plaza, the first site of the cultural trail. The final product of this work includes a two and half minute video, created by local artists Edythe Gianessi and Lee Turner, that gives visitors an opportunity to reflect on the history of urban renewal at this site and how they can be advocates for social justice in their community. A hope is to identify more funding that can support further development of these deep experiences at other sites along the trail, which will be discussed at the AACT strategic planning meeting Feb. 27.
“The whole idea is we wanted to have a pilot of when you visit the site of Sycamore Hill Gateway Plaza, you learn the history and have an opportunity to learn more,” Yeager said. “Your attention span is probably not going to be super long, but a video in two and a half minutes is a real good example of what you can experience. Ultimately, the idea is to increase the marketability and also to reach a wider range of the market that might want to come and experience this trail.”
Emily Yeager with the Department of Recreation Sciences. (ECU Photo by Rhett Butler)
Yeager added that she’s proud of what already has been accomplished.
“Edythe, for example, has a really strong history and connection to Pitt County, which was invaluable, I think, for the passion behind this project,” Yeager said.
HHP graduate student Chasity Hughes, with the assistance of HHP undergraduate student, Miranda Gavin, conducted interviews with community members whose thoughts on reflexive exercises and healing racial trauma were incorporated into the final video.
The importance of student involvement and powerful learning experiences during healing task force team sessions have made an impact on participants.
“The first word that comes to mind when I think about this project is transformative,” Yeager said. “I feel like I can be plugged into the community in a meaningful way. I can bring amazing experiential education experiences for my students right to their front door, because they are living here and can be a part of the strategic planning of something like this.”
A launch celebration for the trail was held Oct. 27, 2021, at Sycamore Hill Gateway Plaza, where community members gave remarks that emphasized how the trail is a “living, breathing project.”
“This is a living thing. It is something that we are proud of and we’ll continue to be proud of and invest in,” said Diane Taylor, Pitt-Greenville Convention & Visitors Authority chair, at the launch celebration.
Explore more about the trail.