My first day at the Lemon Project was full of community, laughter, and new knowledge. We started the day creating rules and goals for the weekend, followed by learning about the actual project we are going to create. The first part of the day (and my favorite part of the day) was watching the interview of the Legacy 3 done by William and Mary libraries because I was struck by the humanity of their experiences at the college. Before they came, they were not aware that they were the first African American residential students at William and Mary, and from the stories they told, it seemed like that was never the main focus of their experience. Their freshman year was full of the same experiences and struggles as mine: learning to live away from home, making new friends, and adjusting to rigorous academics. It drove home the fact that we are all humans trying to survive and thrive in whatever situation life decides to put us in. Their situation was exceptional, though. I noticed this when all three women mentioned that they felt pressure to succeed and graduate because of their unique situation as the first African American residential students at the college. The thought was that they had to succeed to show the people who doubted them, and the people who may be in a similar situation, that it could be done. We all watched the video as a group, laughed at the same stories, and related to the same experiences, and I think this brought us together and inspired us to continue working to tell the story of these women and the spaces and places they occupied.
The second part of the day was spent brainstorming our projects and research. My group decided to focus on residential and study spaces, which I think will further this theme of relatability and community. The women lived in Jefferson Hall as freshman, which still serves as a freshman dorm today. They also spent hours and hours studying for classes, just as we do now. By studying the buildings they occupied, which we also occupy, and their experiences in them, we can contextualize their situation and experiences in order to further understand and relate to them. I am so excited to meet, interview, and learn even more from the women tomorrow, and to keep creating an awesome and supportive (and educational) community with my group members and leaders.