The Story



We are All Antarctica is a story about my father George W. Gibbs, Jr’s adventures as the first person of African descent to set foot on the continent of Antarctica. He sailed on the famous ship the USS Bear in 1939 to 1941 on Admiral Byrd’s III expedition to the South Pole. It was the first joint venture with the US military and private exploration. Gibbs went on to serve humanity in countless ways, paving the way for not only people of color in the community of Rochester, MN but for all people to become more human, serve their community and appreciate differences.

Through compassion, tenacity, faith and countless hours in the trenches, Gibbs’ life is a model for community service, equality and fun. As the lowest rank on the ship, he was honored for his contribution at a time when people with dark skin were considered less than human.

This story integrates my experiences with natural healing, the arts, the science of the ice, the metaphysics of the South Pole and the history of the expedition and its mystery.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Antarctic Reflections

Thanks for your patience with my break.  We are 5 miles from the wildfire in Conifer, CO.  After seeing pictures of floods in Punta Arenas and then the fires in my community,  I needed a break.  It feels strange to have recently been somewhere that is now distressed by flood.   I flew from Punta Arenas Chile to King George Island.  The video shows the area where I rushed to use the ATM machine I before I left for Antarctica.  The wildfires made national news.  Sadly, I discovered a video on 9 news from a family who's neighbors died in the fire.  This family drove through the fire to get out!.  The good news is we had snow and the fire is out. It was my first time seeing snow since I landed in Antarctica!

I also found more on the mystery of the  abandoned Czech Hut we visited. I wrote about in an earlier post.  The goal ( before it was abandoned) is to study human behavior in extreme environments and serve a ecological purpose by measuring and cleaning up rubbish found floating by the island.  How fascinating!  It's encouraging to see people, in all parts of the globe, finding ways to respect each other and enjoy our planet.
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