Meet the Students - Americans

South African Students • Senegalese Students

Janelle, 16 years old, Native American (Minneapolis, Minnesota)---Janelle is Native American from the Navajo Nation. She has been very involved in educational issues and programs concerning Native Americans. The second oldest of a family of seven children, Janelle is also a peer leader and counselor for younger girls and teens at youth leadership camps. She has graduated high school and plans on attending the University of Minnesota.

Jonathan, 18 years old, Jewish (Manlius, New York)---In the documentary, Jonathan was a senior in high school in upstate New York. He was a member of the orchestra and choir, the Model United National Club and the National Honor Society. Jonathan is interested in politics, government and music. Now a sophomore at Brown University in Rhode Island, Jonathan spent the summer working on Hillary Clinton’s senate campaign in New York.

Stephanie, 17 years old, Haitian Emigrate (Chicago, Illinois)---Stephanie emigrated from Haiti to the United States and has a unique perspective on race and race relations. "Racism is new to me. In Haiti everyone is black. Automatically everyone acts differently to me at school (here in America) because of the way I talk. I feel I'm not a part of them. It has changed the way I think. I thought racism was about only white fighting against black, but it is more than that." Since the trip to Goree, Stephanie has graduated from High School and joined the United States Army and is currently stationed in Germany.

Wendell, 17 years old, Hispanic/Thai Descent (Miami, Florida)---Wendell has been immersed in languages since elementary school. He speaks fluent French, English and Spanish. Wendell comes from a culturally mixed family---his father is from Guatemala of Hispanic descent; and his mother is from Thailand of Chinese descent. Wendell is a sophomore at Florida International University in Miami.

Scott, 15 years old, African American (Chicago, Illinois)---Scott was a high school sophomore at the start of the documentary. He considers himself to be a fast learner and "able to do just about anything I put my mind to." Scott is very interested in African tribe culture and learned a great deal about African life while in Senegal. After returning from Goree Island, Scott received a scholarship to attend Saint Albans School in Washington D.C. where is in the eleventh grade.

Elli, 18 years old, Asian America (San Francisco, California)---Elli comes from San Francisco where she was very active in school government and president of her senior class. She loves outdoor activities including hiking, rockclimbing and roller-blading. Elli has a mixed ethnic background of German, Japanese and Chinese, which has allowed her to experience several different cultures and their traditions. Elli is a sophomore at Connecticut College and has just spent a semester studying in India and South Africa.

Sarah, 16 years old, White (Birmingham, Alabama)---Sarah was a junior in high school when the documentary began. She is an avid sports fan and sports editor of her high school newspaper. She is also active in community service and especially enjoys working with kids. Sarah has been involved in studying issues of inequality, race and ignorance. Sarah is currently a freshman at Wake Forest University in North Carolina.

South African Students • Senegalese Students