Neo-Underground Railroad Conductors

Greetings Conductors!

It has been my pleasure and honor serving with the Neo-Underground Railroad Conductors of James Madison University. Of all my various commitments throughout my four years here, few measure up to the impact that NURC has had upon me. Before going to college, we all have the perception that we’ve most likely created from movies and sitcoms. For me, my ideal view of being “grown up” in college was the controversial and philosophical debates in small intimate classes and quirky professors that blow your mind in huge lecture halls. Many of us don’t find our expectations met in this extension of high school. I have been blessed to have my expectations met and exceeded.

NURC has brought me challenges, growth, opportunities, mentors, and best friends. It has carried over into all aspects of my life- my academics, extra-curriculars, jobs, service, relationships…. everything. The mission alone led me to question the status quo and to always search for truth and strive for justice. Joel Barker said, “Vision without action is a dream. Action without vision is simply passing the time.” The movement stood out to me because it took its vision and matched it with action. The lessons I have learned from my fellow conductors are immeasurable. NURC extends far beyond weekly discussions; it gives you a new pair of eyes. In the process of promoting “freedom, education, enlightenment, and empowerment,” for others, we have increased it within ourselves, and in turn we spread that energy to everyone around us. When we commit ourselves to this mission, we utilize and strengthen “our talents, our beliefs, and our abilities.” This movement has brought me so much- meaningful conversations, the power to be the change, random acts of kindness, uplifting conferences, the indescribable experience of KOTG, daily inspiration, like-minded brothers and sisters, and the mentality that the only world that works is a world that works for all.

Being a Conductor is not a title or a status- it is a way of life. The spirit this movement carries is so strong and so contagious. It is easy for many to leave college and enter the monotony of a nine to five and to become complacent and stagnant. While I may be leaving this academic and social environment, the true Conductor spirit will not leave me. This movement exemplifies the words of Coretta Scott King, that “when you are willing to make sacrifices for a great cause, you will never be alone, because you will have divine companionship and the support of good people.” With the woes of the world that we all see, and the ills of the world that few see, I still find so much comfort knowing that I am in a generation where this movement exists. While it would be ideal to not need the mission of our movement, there will always be a gap between what is and what ought to be. It is our calling to decrease that gap. Before we can fight injustice, we must first address its roots. We know that injustice is rooted in mental slavery and together we are committed to inducing “freedom of the mind.”

I owe so much of who I have become to this movement and its conductors. I am so grateful to this movement because it has brought out the best of my mind, body, and soul. Through this movement, I have known genuine karuna and sincere passion- a rare gift that I do not take for granted.

Namaste,
Kellz