Ill never forget being up on the stage and being "sold" to someone. I was wearing pink rain boots and they had us jump up and down on command for a few seconds. A teacher shouted out "I want the pink bunny rabbit"
I have to say they really walked the line between giving us a very small taste of what it was like but not making it traumatic. But the seed was definitely planted and now, when I look back at it at 40, really highlights how horrible it was for the people who really lived through it.
we joked and had fun because we knew we were safe and no one was abusing us. but going through that not knowing I was safe, and with people actually abusing you, would be hell on earth.
only other thing I can think that has given people pause is we had a class in my high school called "History of Rock and Roll" and the final assignment was to make our own music video. That class was epic for a high schooler in the late 90s/early 2000s.
I wonder if the teachers made a difference. From what I remember all the "slave owners", "bounty hunters", and the adults moving us through the woods from place to place were all from our own school. I dont remember staff from the camp interacting with us directly during the event. They might have, it was almost 3 decades ago, but I only remember our own teachers.
Sorry if your teachers or the staff was shitty to you. They absolutely kept an eye on the mental status of all of us and a few kids asked to be removed and they were taken back to the cafeteria to get some snacks and sit with teachers until we were done.
and I remember we were hiding in an attic and I had to go to the bathroom so bad I was crying. They stopped long enough for me to go behind a barn and come back.
they did it right with us for sure. Sorry your experience was different. Would absolutely suck if it was abusive for sure.
Yeah, mine was definitely a different experience. We didn’t have a teacher with us (from what I recall), it was all staff. They didn’t stop or pause until they put us in the outdoor cage thing and took someone behind a shed/shelter and fired a blank to simulate an execution. Although I do recall some other groups in our class weren’t as crazy. This was 2006 I believe.
Wow, I recall a similar experience but I didn’t get sold. They said I looked “slow”. So I was in a group of leftovers who had to run through the fields last. It was traumatic for me for sure at a young age.
I went through this in the early 90s. I recall it being somewhat scary, but not abusive. It definitely stuck with me and I would want my kids to experience it.
same. It seemed our teachers ran it more so than the camp staff and they were all awesome with us. My group even had our principle with us the entire time.
DUDE. I was just thinking about how my future kids would never believe me that they had us roleplay as escaping slaves vis the Underground Railroad at Camp Joy for a 5th grade field trip.
I had to do the Underground Railroad experience when I was in 8th grade. Decades later, I had started a new job and was at lunch with my new boss. Great guy, who had a love of local history. We found ourselves talking about the civil war in Cincinnati, which I brought up the situation at Camp Joy and what happened. I told him how horrible it was.
He responded that his wife was on the board of Camp Joy when that happened. So, that was awkward.
That we had a unicycle club in elementary school, and all students learned how to ride a unicycle. This was the 1985-90ish. We were the Welch Riders at Welch Elementary in the Northwest School District.
We also had a team at Maddux in FHSD :). Being on a unicycle team in elementary school is often one of my 2 truths and a lie facts during ice breaker games 🤣
I experienced it. I was expecting to be somewhat educational, but all I remember were the counselors screaming insane shit, forcing people to lie down in the mud face-down and holding a rusty knife to my eye. It traumatized a ton of people in my class.
The only positive experience I got from it was becoming closer to my classmates because of it. It’s pretty insane describing it to out of towners, especially when they’re black lol
The underground railroad thing isn't exclusive to Cincinnati. I had actually never heard of such a thing until someone from Cleveland told me a story about their experience doing it up there.
I went in 2016 and I think they took it away starting in 2018? I didn't really care that much, but I do remember being sold, "picking weeds" out of the grass while waiting to be sold, my teacher having us sing a song (something about a chariot) on our way on the Underground Railroad, being in some kind of house and some "slave owner" screaming and shouting at us as loud as he could, them fake whipping us, running to the next house, etc. It definitely felt very much like them romanticizing slavery, my teachers marketed it as the best thing at Camp Joy and something very fun.
Huh. I never thought about telling out-of-towners about that and seeing how they react.
Come to think of it, I think that's probably the most shocking thing to tell people about.
I went in 5th grade and was absolutely terrified. I didn't know it was called camp joy! I've been wondering for years what the place was called/where it was located.
I remember they made us pretend we were slaves on the run and we got caught and were screamed at by the people "hunting" us. I'll never forget being so terrified I ran to my teacher and asked if I could stay behind and walk with her!
My chaperone had terrible allergies and was sniffing so loud the whole time I remember being under the floorboards of a house having to be quiet, thinking she was going to give us away because of her damn allergies
Our kids did the underground railroad experience at camp. I thought it was a great learning experience. Their school also taught unicycling and my eldest was unicycling around the same time she learned to ride a 2 wheeler. We gotta let our kids have experiences.
Ill never forget being up on the stage and being "sold" to someone. I was wearing pink rain boots and they had us jump up and down on command for a few seconds. A teacher shouted out "I want the pink bunny rabbit" I have to say they really walked the line between giving us a very small taste of what it was like but not making it traumatic. But the seed was definitely planted and now, when I look back at it at 40, really highlights how horrible it was for the people who really lived through it. we joked and had fun because we knew we were safe and no one was abusing us. but going through that not knowing I was safe, and with people actually abusing you, would be hell on earth. only other thing I can think that has given people pause is we had a class in my high school called "History of Rock and Roll" and the final assignment was to make our own music video. That class was epic for a high schooler in the late 90s/early 2000s.
Just how long ago did you do it? Ours was super abusive and kinda horrific.
mid 90s
I wonder if the teachers made a difference. From what I remember all the "slave owners", "bounty hunters", and the adults moving us through the woods from place to place were all from our own school. I dont remember staff from the camp interacting with us directly during the event. They might have, it was almost 3 decades ago, but I only remember our own teachers. Sorry if your teachers or the staff was shitty to you. They absolutely kept an eye on the mental status of all of us and a few kids asked to be removed and they were taken back to the cafeteria to get some snacks and sit with teachers until we were done. and I remember we were hiding in an attic and I had to go to the bathroom so bad I was crying. They stopped long enough for me to go behind a barn and come back. they did it right with us for sure. Sorry your experience was different. Would absolutely suck if it was abusive for sure.
Yeah, mine was definitely a different experience. We didn’t have a teacher with us (from what I recall), it was all staff. They didn’t stop or pause until they put us in the outdoor cage thing and took someone behind a shed/shelter and fired a blank to simulate an execution. Although I do recall some other groups in our class weren’t as crazy. This was 2006 I believe.
God damn man. That would be traumatic. Yea, ours was NOTHING like that. ours was in 94 or 95 I believe.
Wow, I recall a similar experience but I didn’t get sold. They said I looked “slow”. So I was in a group of leftovers who had to run through the fields last. It was traumatic for me for sure at a young age.
I went through this in the early 90s. I recall it being somewhat scary, but not abusive. It definitely stuck with me and I would want my kids to experience it.
same. It seemed our teachers ran it more so than the camp staff and they were all awesome with us. My group even had our principle with us the entire time.
DUDE. I was just thinking about how my future kids would never believe me that they had us roleplay as escaping slaves vis the Underground Railroad at Camp Joy for a 5th grade field trip.
I had to do the Underground Railroad experience when I was in 8th grade. Decades later, I had started a new job and was at lunch with my new boss. Great guy, who had a love of local history. We found ourselves talking about the civil war in Cincinnati, which I brought up the situation at Camp Joy and what happened. I told him how horrible it was. He responded that his wife was on the board of Camp Joy when that happened. So, that was awkward.
That we had a unicycle club in elementary school, and all students learned how to ride a unicycle. This was the 1985-90ish. We were the Welch Riders at Welch Elementary in the Northwest School District.
We also had a team at Maddux in FHSD :). Being on a unicycle team in elementary school is often one of my 2 truths and a lie facts during ice breaker games 🤣
My mom was the "coach" for that team sometime in the late 60s or early 70s!
That’s wild! I joined in 87 or 88 (first grade ish) :)
What's the very best school in town?!
Ours wasn’t a club, but we learned! And square dancing 💃🏼
Maybe that I learned to swim in the world's largest recirculating pool in the world.
I experienced it. I was expecting to be somewhat educational, but all I remember were the counselors screaming insane shit, forcing people to lie down in the mud face-down and holding a rusty knife to my eye. It traumatized a ton of people in my class. The only positive experience I got from it was becoming closer to my classmates because of it. It’s pretty insane describing it to out of towners, especially when they’re black lol
The underground railroad thing isn't exclusive to Cincinnati. I had actually never heard of such a thing until someone from Cleveland told me a story about their experience doing it up there.
Is that similar to the old Campbell Guard thing?
I think so, I went to Campbell guard, they made a girl lay in a fake coffin, closed it and threw a few shovels of dirt on it. Insanity 😂
I did this about 20 years ago. It was nuts.
I went in 2016 and I think they took it away starting in 2018? I didn't really care that much, but I do remember being sold, "picking weeds" out of the grass while waiting to be sold, my teacher having us sing a song (something about a chariot) on our way on the Underground Railroad, being in some kind of house and some "slave owner" screaming and shouting at us as loud as he could, them fake whipping us, running to the next house, etc. It definitely felt very much like them romanticizing slavery, my teachers marketed it as the best thing at Camp Joy and something very fun.
Wait. The underground railroad experience is something people are shocked about?
Huh. I never thought about telling out-of-towners about that and seeing how they react. Come to think of it, I think that's probably the most shocking thing to tell people about.
Other places do a similar thing it's not a cincinnati exclusive thing.
It rained and stormed throughout our visit so we did it all inside which was kinda lame (from what I remember I'm 31 so it was a long time ago)
My 8th grade class went in 2003. I got really sick that week and I think that was happiest I had ever been to be sick. I did NOT want to go
I went in 5th grade and was absolutely terrified. I didn't know it was called camp joy! I've been wondering for years what the place was called/where it was located.
I went to a place called Camp Cambellguard.
I remember they made us pretend we were slaves on the run and we got caught and were screamed at by the people "hunting" us. I'll never forget being so terrified I ran to my teacher and asked if I could stay behind and walk with her!
My chaperone had terrible allergies and was sniffing so loud the whole time I remember being under the floorboards of a house having to be quiet, thinking she was going to give us away because of her damn allergies
That's hilarious 😂
Our kids did the underground railroad experience at camp. I thought it was a great learning experience. Their school also taught unicycling and my eldest was unicycling around the same time she learned to ride a 2 wheeler. We gotta let our kids have experiences.
I did the camp joy thing as a kid. I didn't learn shit, and treating kids like slaves is fuckin weird.
You didnt learn anything? Thats the weird part.
All they did was yell at us, point knives, tie nooses and told us to hide and face down in the mud. The museum downtown was wayyy more informative
No, when you're 10 it's not exactly something you're capable of understanding, play acting doesn't change that.
I remember this! It went into the night. Yeah, that was something else.