My American Experience

America is not only a country, America is a powerful idea. That idea comes from the Declaration of Independence which states, “All men are created equal.” I learned the meaning of this in one moment when a friendly and kind, black woman came up to me, shook my hand and said thanks. I was a volunteer for Habitat building houses for homeless people. I realized this experience could only happen in America.

I was one of 18 people from the Habitat group from The First Congregational Church of Williamstown who were volunteering in John’s Island in South Carolina. There were also other groups of volunteers. One group was from Boston Temple Israel who were all Jewish, another group came all the way from Canada to help Habitat build houses for homeless people. We worked all week building the base structure of a house. Some people were working on the walls and roof of the house; some were painting and some were nailing the boards for the walls. There also were some elderly volunteers from John’s Island who worked part time helping us.

Every morning we prayed before starting work. One day while we were praying standing all in a circle, I saw a black woman coming toward us. She was tall, dark skinned, wearing a jacket and a hat. After the prayer, the supervisor said to us that, “she is the owner of the house that we are building. She will also work with you guys to build her home.” We started working on the house and the woman was helping me to connect metal rods with each other before cement was poured. She was enthusiastic to work on the basement of her future house. I asked her, “How do you feel working on your own house?” She responded with a sigh from deep inside her and a smile on her face, “I have five children and it is my fifth year living in a run down rental house in a bad neighborhood. I can’t express my happiness that I am going to have my own home after such a long time.” When she explained her situation I understood her suffering, but I saw hope in her eyes.

This woman who shook my hand had the blood of slaves and slave masters running in her veins. There was a time that black people suffered as slaves. And now they were free. Now people from different ethnic groups, different skin colors, different regions and religions were working together side by side to build homes for homeless people no matter who they are, what their skin color is, or what religion they are. We all belong to the human family. We all should have equal rights because all men are created equal. This is how I understand that America is not only a country, America is a powerful idea. I realized my experience with the woman could only happen in America.