Audio Tour

Imagine it is a chilly fall morning in October, and you are walking to school. Your backpack is heavy, you hear the autumn leaves crunch beneath your shoes. You do this every day, walking the same path, past the train station. You look to your right and you see the four sets of train tracks. The trains pass by often, you don’t think much of it. You just remember what your mother told you, to be patient while the trains pass by so that you don’t get hurt. 

Imagine that you are continuing your walk to school, your hands and ears getting cold from the breeze. To your left, there is nothing but trees and the sound of squirrels rummaging around the grass. To your right, just beyond the tracks, you see houses. You’ve never been on that side of town, and the houses look bigger than yours, the yards separated by new fences and shrubs. You put your head down, and continue to walk. Seeing the other side of the tracks is a regular occurrence for you, and you don’t expect it to go away any time soon.

This experience was common for segregated students in Glassboro for many years. As early as the 1800’s, these students worked against exclusionary laws and regulations in order to gain access to equal education. Robert P. Tucker has described these struggles in his book, “The History of Elsmere: African-American Life in Glassboro, New Jersey”. In one instance, Tucker writes, “the railway became a major geographical and psychological barrier between the new Chesnut Ridge development nearby and the Acres, with the Haves on one side and the Have-nots on the other side” (64). Because of this distinct geographical boundary that these students had to encounter, I have chosen the train tracks connected to the old Glassboro Historic Train Station for my mural placement.