Mitchell Howard and the Basilica de la Sagrada Familia:
“The combination of beauty, religious atmosphere, and international
recognition of the site made the experience truly surreal.”
Photo courtesy of Mitchell Howard
For an entire month during the summer of 2024, Mitchell Howard studied Spanish and Catalonian culture, literature and history abroad in Barcelona, Spain. As a bilingual student majoring in Spanish, he felt that the experience could not have been more incredible.
WIF was introduced to Mitchell through his uncle, Milton Quinn, who has been instrumental in introducing us to Black professionals in the construction industry as potential panelists for our September 18 panel discussion on overseas career opportunities for Black male youth.
Mitchell has graciously allowed us to publish the statement and photos below, which he sent to his uncle after his first study abroad experience. He said he typed it in the manner he wished it had been presented to him, starting with singing the praises of the study abroad experience, then relating those benefits to his own experience.
Going Abroad as a POC (Person of Color):
Going abroad was an incredible experience, as most people who participate would tell you. There are countless benefits to going abroad, regardless of your race, income, gender, or any other attribute:
● “Culture” – food, music, norms, etc.
○ Experiencing a culture so vastly different from those in the United States can provide you with new preferences, opinions and thought processes.
● Perspective
○ Simply living outside of the United States offers you a perspective that many of the people around you won’t have.
● Connections
○ The people you meet abroad will be from all walks of life, with their own wisdom and experience to share. If you take the time to listen and learn from them, you’ll make lifelong friends and learn that much more about the world around you.
My Experience:
My study abroad experience brought me to Barcelona, Spain to study Hispanic
culture and literature within Catalonia and the other regions of Spain.
Staying with my host family improved my language skills and so much more. The casual way of life within the country was unlike the “rat race” we see in the United States, which taught me to truly stop and smell the roses.
Mitchell (far right) and his host family:
“The hosts spoke Spanish with us, allowing us to continue practicing and stay immersed in the culture. Their hospitality was incredible, and I will miss them.”
In general, I would say that people were less easily offended in Spain, which allowed for deeper and more controversial discussions to take place peacefully. By engaging in conversations like these, you find more opportunity to develop, change, and share your opinion in a manner that you might not get to in the States. Being free of “cancel culture” allowed me to confront opinions of my own that I hadn’t even realized I had.
Shoko Beach Club:
“… one of the popular beach clubs in Barcelona. Nights like these were common and a major talking point of the experience.”
The food there was less expensive and more delicious and nutritious. However, the portions were smaller and almost always came accompanied with bread. While one could say “their portions are tiny”, it’s equally valid to suggest the opposite: U.S. portions are massive. The change in perspective that I found there is something I was happy to bring home and share with those around me.
Breakfast pizza – “a basic, but delicious dish we enjoyed abroad”
However, as a man of color, those benefits mean that much more. At its most basic point, studying abroad as a man of color makes you more professionally and socially impressive. Your experience is that much more diversified, and the perspectives that you can share are even more unique. The benefits speak for themselves, so I urge my counterparts of color considering a study abroad to take that change.
Mitchell also wrote and posted photos about his study abroad experience on LinkedIn:
While improving my spoken, written and listening fluencies, I was also able to immerse myself in the culture by celebrating holidays, exploring the city, enjoying delicious cuisine, participating in excursions and so much more. The additional opportunities to explore France, Valencia, Andorra, Costa Brava, and other regions were incredible, as they deepened my understanding of culture, on an international scale.
The experience taught me much, though what I am most grateful for is perspective. The opportunity to see and enjoy another way to live will forever impact the way that I live mine.
Gracias, España.
He shared additional photos that highlighted his study abroad adventure in Barcelona.
One of them shows street art that depicts Malcolm X and Nelson Mandela.
Mitchell was particularly moved by this work, saying:
The street art depicted in the image is the product of the relationship between business owners and graffiti artists. The graffiti artists and shop owners work together to establish and maintain the art that gets displayed on the doors that cover shops after closing hours. In the country, much of the graffiti art we saw carried a deeper meaning-often political in some manner.
The artwork of Malcolm X and Nelson Mandela was in a local shopping strip known as Calle Ramblas. The inspiration and influence of these leaders is clearly international and still prevalent today.
As an African-American and a proud advocate for civil, social and political equity, seeing the image while exploring Spain was truly powerful.
Mitchell also shared photos of Barcelona’s landscape. See them below.
