Recap of this Incredible Journey

 I have finally settled back in at Eau Claire once getting back from the Civil Rights Pilgrimage.  WOW. I have unpacked, started doing laundry, and have finally sat down for the first time and soaked everything in about what has happened during the past 10 days.  This incredible experience has just flown by and I cannot begin to express how grateful I am to all the coordinators, donors,  Jodi, as well as all the wonderful people I was able to meet this past week.

The stories, memories, tears, and laughter that I experienced this past week is indescribable.  To say that this trip was memorable would be an understatement.  This trip has changed me for the better and taught me some incredible life changing lessons.  One of the most impactful experiences on this trip for me would be when we went through the slavery reenactment in Selma, Alabama.  I didn't realize how emotional I would become.  We were belittled, cussed at, and overall were made to feel like absolutely nothing.  What emotionally struck me the most was when one of my very best friends was chosen out of the line of "slaves" and had to "kill" two additional people in the line up.  Even though I knew all of this was just an act the emotional guilt and anxiety I felt during this reenactment was overwhelming at times.  Walking away from this reenactment and Selma, Alabama I realized how truly blessed I am.  Sometimes it is so easy to take for granted the small things in life.  This reenactment reminded me of the importance of living each day to the fullest and always being thankful for the opportunities that are presented to you each and everyday.



Another part of the trip that left an extreme impression on me was when we went to Memphis, Tennessee and looked at where MLK was killed along with being able to listen to Reverend Billy Kyles speak about never letting your dream die.  In Reverend Kyles speech he kept referencing the famous quote, "Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly." ~Langston Hughes. This quote really sat with me throughout his speech because he reminded me of the importance of never giving up on a dream.  One of the greatest parts about the Civil Rights Pilgrimage is that many of the places we visited we have read about in text books or learned about in a history class, but nothing can compare to a personal experience one can have by seeing actual historical places in our nation's history.  No test, book, or lecture in any classroom can prepare me for what I heard, saw, and witnessed this past week.

I start my school day tomorrow with what I feel is a fresh perspective on life.  I carry these remarkable stories on my shoulders now and I am ready to continue sharing these lessons and memories with anyone who will listen.  I see my greatness and I am ready to share it with the world. As Ms. Bland reminded us all (pictured to the left) we are all a jigsaw piece in this giant puzzle of life.  I need to fulfill my piece of the puzzle or it will never be complete  This trip was immeasurably rewarding for myself and I know so many others.  I am blessed to have been able to participate and meet so many outstanding men and women of our nation's history.

Little Rock, Arkansas

Today we had the opportunity not even to see Little Rock Central High School, but as well meet the principle of the high school. It was really amazing to actually see the first desegregated high school that nine African-American students took the initiative and courage to end segregation in schools.
One thing that i love about today's tours is that hearing and learning about those students just ordinary people that risked their lives to make American society come together and respect one-another no matter the skin color.
I highly would encourage others to go to this trip. I learned so much about my self as well as others and met so many great people that i wish i could go again next time. Not only i got to learn the civil rights movement more in depth but actually experience it by seeing those places and meeting some of those people that participated in the movement. It is by far the best experience in my life.

And here are some pictures of the central high school and the 9 sculptures.

Selma, Alabama

During our trip with Ms. Bland in Selma, Alabama, I learned so many new things about the town and Ms. Bland herself. Ms. Bland is an outgoing, amusing, and wise person. She's full of energy every time she speaks. We enjoy her spontaneity. She told us so many interesting facts about the town of Selma and herself. At the age of 11, Ms. Bland was involved in the march for voting rights for African American from Selma to Montgomery. She's seen in many horrible combat between the blacks and the whites. Not only that, she's been involved in it. One thing that struck me the most about the town is that there are still detectable segregation there. For example, there is an all-white school that doesn't allow black children to attend, but just recently, a black student has been accepted at the all-white school which was an impressive moment that not many know about. The next interesting thing was that we were able to see the difference between houses of the left side of the street and houses on the right side of the street. The houses on the left side of the street consists of poor, worn down houses that belonged to black people. And the houses on the right side of the street consists of tall, rich-looking houses that belonged to white people. It was amusing to turn my head from left to right and see the remarkable difference. This town is filled with love, hate, and history. I'm glad that I had the chance to walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge and acknowledge what the African Americans had went through to achieve their voting rights. 

I'm a puzzle piece in this jigsaw...

Stepping off the bus in Atlanta the sun greeted my shoulders with a warmth I haven't felt since...well let's just say a long time. When they set us loose, a couple of my friends and I decided we wanted to explore the city, and after walking along the sidewalks and gawking at the buildings, we brought our heads down and were greeted by Tops, one of the city tour guide horses, driven by a very exuberant man ready and willing to take us around town. How could we say no?! It was a completely different view looking at the buildings while riding a huge horse and on each side of you are cars looking up to see the obvious tourists. After the ride we began walking around some more and eventually ended up at the Olympic park where we sat down on the grass and watched the people enjoy the day around us. Well before we knew it a couple of gentlemen approached us and gave us roses. Why? Well why not? As we were taking pictures with these nice young men, a little girl came running up to our group and asked for a rose; knowing that it would last a lot longer with her, I gave her mine, and she thanked me with a tackle and a hug, the smile on her face was priceless.

The next morning at Ebenezer Baptist church, a morning I will never forget, I was fortunate enough to witness the amazing service, which left me smiling for the rest of the day. What I took out of that experience was that you never know somebody's story, no matter how much you think you might. This is a powerful thing to remember because everyone has their own story, and before you decide to judge them whether it's based off their looks or what have you, you need to take the time to step back and realize everyone has their own story.

Leaving Atlanta was bitter-sweet, but hopefully I will be returning again (fingers crossed!)...and I just wanted to say that the wonderful ladies who worked the morning breakfast spoiled us with their wonderful Southern hospitality!

My next favorite spot, and one that left the biggest impression on me so far, was Selma, Alabama. It was wonderful to meet Joanne Bland, but what really got to me was the city tour that we took...I didn't know that it was still such a heavily segregated town. It is so sad to think that some people still have the mentality that they are superior and must oppress others...when it is the year 2013.... At the slavery reenactment I was chosen to scream at the "slaves" as they prepared to walk into the gut of the ship. The most powerful an emotional part for me was at the end, when we were no longer slaves, and we were outside again, and we declared our love and respect for ourselves and others. It is impossible to loves others if you do not love yourself.

However, my most favorite part, hands down, no doubt about it was getting to see everyone come together and watch/listen to RATCO perform. It was a very emotional night for me, a roller coaster of emotions...but through it all I walked out of that church so inspired that there is no way I won't be keeping in touch with that organization!

Tomorrow we get to walk the bridge, a very very very historical landmark, and as Ms. Bland had said to do, I must remember that I am a puzzle piece in this jigsaw puzzle and I need to think where do I belong? And is the puzzle almost finished?

Well hopefully I'll have those answers after tomorrow's walk!

Civil Rights Memorial Center

Today we visited Montogomery, Alabama. The whole city itself is full of amazing history and has a deep connection with the Civil Rights Movement. I felt that everywhere you looked, there was history associated with it. I would have to say today was by far one of my favorite days on the pilgrimmage so far. I was able to apply to Montogomery what we have previously heard about the movement and it was pretty cool to connect all the peices together in one of the main cities from the movement. I think my favorite part was the visit to the Civil Rights Memorial Center. I was SHOCKED to hear that the building is under 24/7 security because it has had bombing attempts, 2009 being the most recent attempted attack, and the center and its offices continue to recieve threats from hate groups, such as the notorious KKK. There are so many different hate groups still and it saddens me and absolutely disgusts me to think that we are in 2013 and people continue to have such a hate for people different from themselves and for people who support those people and what to make a difference. I think we all agree that in this day in age, we all should be able to get along and accept eachother. Going to the Civil Rights Memorial Center really has inspired me to become a part of the movement to stop this hate and violence and it opened my eyes to what still goes on today in Alabama.

Civil Rights Pilgrimage

Now that I have been able to recover after our busy 10 days in the South, I have been able to reflect upon my experiences and everything that I have learned.Through this incredible experience of learning about the Civil Rights Movement, I have gained so much resourceful knowledge of myself and how I can do my part in changing the world. Not only have I acquired a great deal of knowledge of how I can contribute to the benefit of the world, but I have also learned so much more about myself as a person.
The subject of racism has always been an avoided topic in conversation to me. It wasn't until this trip that I learned how important it is to analyze the impact racism has upon our society and how big of an issue it really is. After listening first hand from past freedom riders and other individuals who have experienced living in a country when racism was at its peak was breathtaking. I wouldn't have had any idea of the hardships non-whites had to endure had we not heard from these incredibly inspirational speakers. The many areas we visited where much of the history took place were also very beneficial towards our experience. Walking in the footsteps of past historical figures and standing upon history was an awesome feeling.
I feel very privileged to have been able to go through this experience. I have learned so much about myself as a person and have also gained a great understanding of our nations history with racism. The places, the knowledge, and the people I've been lucky to share this experience with will always be held dear to me. I can't wait to apply to be a coordinator for future trips and hopefully relive this entire experience again.

the ending of a pilgrimage

Throughout this journey, there has been a myriad of emotions. From anger and frustration to utter happiness and hope,  have felt it all. This is due to the discovery of new information about the civil rights movement That my teachers have often never told me. The cities that hit me the hardest were, of course, the cities in ALABAMA; Montgomery, Selma and Birmingham. They were rich with information, history and had an eerie feeling to it. I have never felted so connected to MY OWN history. It was like I was standing in the same footsteps of the soldiers prominent within the movement.

However, during the class discussions, I couldn't keep it together no matter how hard I wanted to. I had to excuse myself because I couldn't look at the faces of the other students because I was so infuriated. I became angry during our time in Alabama because I couldn't stand to look at the poverty and the lack of adequate education within Selma. It was too much to bear. But I got through that rough stage of the trip by the help of my peers. We had a discussion separate from the class discussions which the coordinators came to. I appreciate them, they gave me advice on how to channel my anger in positive results and actions.

Honestly, I don't think I could have gotten through those ten days without the wonderful people I developed a connection with, the coordinators or Jodi.

So to all that view this blog, I say the trip was well worth the tears. Through the moment of extreme discomfort I was able to grow and learn exponentially.

24 Hours in NOLA

Fog and Clarity in NOLA

What can you do in 24 hours?

I arrived to NOLA, that’s Nawlins, New Orleans, the thriving, or rather struggling, hub of the Deep South.

Recent movies come to mind:  The Mist, The Fog, Les Miserables.  The first is a horror film about this powerful fog that captures lives and eliminates them for just breathing in a bit of the moist air.  The latter, an obvious success in current. box offices.  This is the film I saw just before I left for the Pilgrimage with some roommates.  This is the musical I studied as a freshman in high school, “singing the songs of angry men” in Choral Club.  This is the country I have always dreamt of going to visit, really “On My Own.”

January 9, 2013 and its weather combined the correlating theatrical themes.  Caution for the unknown.  NOLA really came to the forefront of my mind as of 2005 and its notorious storm.  I anticipated seeing the destruction, encountering poverty, and interacting with a different kind of people.  The dense evening fog brought these feelings to another level.  “Use the buddy system.”  “Make sure you don’t go out alone, especially in New Orleans.”  Just breathe it in a moment too long, and you’re gone.

I walked with hesitation, looking for the old bricks beneath my feet and the oil streetlamps breaking through the dense fog about ten strides ahead.  I walked across Decatur Ave, past Café du Monde, toward the sidewalk along the Mississippi.  I climbed the stairs, crossed the trolley tracks, and saw a frosty, moist gray.  Something I knew was right there, so big and grand, I could not see.  But my friends told me it was, and I believed in the beauty I was missing through the fog.

Cue dinner with friends: two small tapas of jumbalaya and red beans and rice.  Signal beignets, powdered sugar, and the checkered white and green tile floors of the café.  Zig zag through the streets, head down Bourbon Street past the all the culture that truly is Bourbon Street.

Beignets at Cafe du Monde

Waking up the next morning—bus tour of the city.

Colors and creativity.  Creole, the new people of the area.  Creole, the many definitions and understandings our guide explained as we bumped along through the rugged streets of their neighborhoods.  Their belief?  Why paint a house white when you could paint it beautiful colors?

The 9^th Ward, heavily hit and beaten by Katrina, was an entirely different image.  Our weather forecast was 100% chance of rain, and man, did it rain.  The rainwater poured off the tangled, elevated freeways.  It dripped from the emergency exit in the roof of our bus, onto the girl sitting right next to me.  Avoiding each drop, she inched closer into my seat and my space, forcing me closer to the window to look what was on the other side of the foggy bus window. 

This massive area was crowded, drab, and the complete opposite of manicured.  Now, besides Selma, Alabama, I don’t think I’ve experienced poverty in such a way.  NOLA 9^th Ward is a different story.  There were no yards, which is the case in about any city.  All that is fine and good, but these shotgun houses, faded from vibrant paint, with railings on some stoops rusted 5 feet high, with black evaluation marks on the front door, demonstrated a new perspective of life.

Thank God for hope and for change.  We visited the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music right in the middle of this community.  This neighborhood consists of all new homes, built by volunteers, funded by celebrities and donors, and re-birthed with a purpose of support and prosperity.  At the middle was this beautiful, blue educational center, allowing about 50 students per semester to come and study music.

These students only have to pay $30 for a semester’s worth of lessons here.  That’s equivalent to a cheap music practice book.  This fee includes lessons, instruction, instrument, classes, etc.  The rest comes from donations, and as one of the center’s administrators recognized, the power of giving is real.  Most donors will never even see the change and impact that they’ve been a part of at that center.  Coming from a family with my mom as an elementary teacher, sister as a K-2 music teacher, and a dad who could listen to jazz albums and records all day long, this stop was a beautiful, pleasant surprise.  These educators are qualified, passionate, focused on health, wellness, innovation, success, and equality.  If this sparks of any interest to you, please, please, please check out their website to leave your own impact.  http://ellismarsaliscenter.org

The rest of the afternoon included soggy feet, art galleries, cafés, markets, rain, my Canon, and sharing travel stories with my former Journalism professor, her daughter, and a classmate studying English from Mexico.  The evening included dinner at an oyster bar (definitely not eating oysters, but other Cajun delicacies) and a night on Frenchmen Street listening to some hearty, swinging jazz in a lounge. 

The best part of my day was simply the fact that nothing really went as expected.

This trip, I did not come with my best friend, a roommate, a teammate, or a boyfriend.  I have come instead with a few things:  an addiction to travel, a passion for learning, an open mind, and goals of intentionality in growth, progress, and reflection.  I have been able to bond more with my acquaintances.  This has come from divine conversations, eye contact, an inclined ear, and willingness to stray from any agendas.  I had plans yesterday to go to the WWII museum with some friends.  Instead, miscommunication led me to a different group, with whom I enjoyed a lovely afternoon of strolling around, gawking at art, and casual conversation.  These plans changed my dinner plans, and I ended up eating late with an inspiring underclassmen, processing through his identity and planning out his future, heavily involved in our college and surrounding community. 

I am learning more and more that no matter where I go, there will be people.  Those people are different.  Those people are beautiful.  The ones before will always be important, and when the time comes to reconnect, it may happen, and it will be extraordinary. 

But the unknown, the fog will not scare me.  I know that the big Mississippi is before me.  I am having one hell of a time trying to see it.  I certainly can’t see the other side, as I can’t even see the beginning of the bank right at my feet.  But I know it’s just ahead.  I know that it’s beautiful.  It started at something so small, miles and miles North, back home.  In NOLA, it’s something a little different.

Come May 18^th, when I graduate, you better believe it’s going to be different.  But there is promise.  There are people to meet, work to do, friends to make, and change to be done.  There is change to be done, and I’m going to be a part of it.

That was 24 hours in NOLA.

 

Karen Hansen

Senior at UW-Eau Claire

So busy!

I haven't actually had time to post on here for the past few days, but here are my entries:

January 9, 2013

Since we couldn’t march across the bridge on the 8^th when we originally planned, we did it this morning. It was a very powerful experience doing so, because as I said in yesterday’s post, it makes the LGBT rights movement ever so present and makes me realize that it can’t be just a select few people who work towards a revolution – we need common people too. Everybody needs to be involved.  This is seen in the Civil Rights Movement too. Many people hear Civil Rights and they think of Martin Luther King, Jr. Yes, MLK played a pivotal role in organizing for the movement; however, there were so many more people involved than just him.

After we marched so solemnly across the bridge, we loaded up our buses and headed to New Orleans, with a pitstop in Gulfport, Mississippi!

January 10, 2013             

New Orleans is a city loaded with Civil Rights history. This morning we took a Civil Rights Bus Tour of the City of New Orleans. It was very interesting to see landmarks such as the first market where slaves were sold, even though it is a scar on the United States’ history. It was sad to see the devastation that still blights the city. The Ninth Ward was the area hit the hardest. On our tour, we saw many homes that were still in complete disrepair – most of which had holes in the roof. When water started pouring into the city, the 9^th ward is the lowest part of the city, many feet below sea level. These homes were flooded often with over 8 feet of water. People took shelter in their attics, but had to get out somehow, so they had to break holes in the roof. Towards the end of our tour, we saw something wonderful! It was a place that has been rebuilt through the help of Habitat for Humanity, called the Musician’s Village. One place in the middle of the Musician’s Village and 9^th ward itself is called the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music. I was absolutely amazed by this outstanding facility and the work they are doing to try to improve the lives of children in the area. The Center has an after school program that teaches kids many different audio/visual and music skills. Everyone is required to learn piano, along with another instrument of their choice. This came about from a dream of Ellis Marsalis, a musician from New Orleans.

The devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina wasn’t just people losing their homes – the city lost many jobs. New Orleans, a very  musical city, lost many musicians. They moved away and found other jobs. The Musician’s Village was meant to bring musicians back, and those musicians help teach at the Center for Music, continuing the knowledge of music in the city’s youth. It is phenomenal!

Below are just a few fun pics from New Orleans!

Beignets and Coffee from Cafe du Monde

Retro Walgreens

The Cathedral that is in the "postcard" picture of New Orleans

January 11, 2013

Today we travelled to Little Rock, Arkansas. Little Rock is a fascinating place, even though it is quite small, with just under 200,000 people. The first thing on the agenda today was to go to Little Rock Central High School, a site of forced segregation. Due to some unfortunate circumstances, I had to spend my time getting a strep test instead of going to Central High; however, I hear from my peers that it was a great experience!

After Little Rock Central High School, we went to the Capitol to see the statues of the Little Rock Nine (the 9 students of color who desegregated the school), all of whom were pointing to the governor’s office, to serve as a constant reminder to the State of Arkansas to never let something of that caliber happen again.

After that, we went to the Clintion School of Public Service, which was the first school to ever offer a Masters in Public Service. Something Bill Clinton felt a call for was public service; however, he felt he could do more with politics, so he chose that career instead. This is how he is contributing to public service – by creating many public servants with a common purpose of working for the betterment of the society. It was compelling to me, going to the school. I’m almost considering applying there when I go to graduate school! We met first-year students there who all showed such compassion for their chosen field of public service; it really felt like a great community of people to live, learn, and grow with. I think this school would be a great fit for me!

We concluded the evening with a very heartfelt discussion of what we, as students, can do in our own lives to help fight issues of inequality.

January 12, 2013

This morning we toured Heifer International, my FAVORITE charity ever, in Little Rock. Their mission is so profound, “Heifer International's mission is to work with communities to end hunger and poverty and care for the Earth.” And it all started with one cow. When a person donates money to purchase say, a cow, or flock of chickens, to give to a family in a developing country, one of the requirements is that the first-born of that animal goes to another family. This not only helps the family with the animal, but it is helping villages become sustainable by teaching them how to farm and care for these animals. It is just one way social justice is playing out in the world today.

We then went to the Clinton Presidential Library. In my opinion, Bill Clinton made strides for this country in terms of social justice issues, and we haven’t had a president yet to achieve as much as he has. It was great seeing everything he’s done in the museum at the library. Following our visit at the Presidential Library, we headed downtown for lunch, then hopped on the bus to head to our last stop on the trip, Memphis, Tennessee! 

Greg Hofmann

Junior - UWEC

Political Science & Student Affairs

Becoming America's Next Foot Soldiers

The Little Rock 9: America's Original Foot Soliders

After a few days of relaxation in New Orleans, today we were back on the bus and on our way to Little Rock, Arkansas. I feel that I learned a lot today in Little Rock. First I would really like to talk about Central High School and the resegregation of America’s schools. After Little Rock Central High was integrated in the 1950’s, the white people began to flee the city into the suburbs. This issue was not unique to Central High either, it happened in many cities across the country. This white flight, as it is called, becomes the source of the resegregation of schools by socioeconomic status instead of race. This segregation by class instead of race is still prevalent today all across the country. When the white flight occurs, the resources for the white students follow them out of the city and into the suburbs leaving the inner city schools fighting with other schools in the district with the same situation for resources to ensure a better education for their students. For me, it is easy to identify the problem and see who is affected in what ways by the problem of resegregation but it is difficult for me to think of a solution to this ever present problem of our society. There is so much that goes into leveling a playing field as large as the field of education but I think it all kind of begins with everyone getting out of their comfort zone just a little bit. If everyone took the opportunity everyday, or as often as possible, to talk to someone new, someone who is different than them and who has different experiences than them I think we would all start to realize that it is easy to love each other and embrace the differences that we all have.

I would also like to take a minute to talk about what we heard from Principal Rousseau at Central High School today. Principal Rousseau is very passionate and proud of her school, as she should be. There are so many great things going on at Central High School. However, her sweeping statements that there are no lonely kids, no racial issues, and no problems with violence come off as completely ignorant in my opinion. Now trust me, as a future educator, I completely understand not emphasizing the bad things in your school, especially to a group of strangers. It’s one thing to address that you have issues, just like any other school does and then emphasize what you are doing to help to fix them and it’s another thing to completely and fully deny that the problems even exist. That is what Principal Rousseau did and I believe that although she may believe that it is true, it is ignorant and harmful. If that is the view of her, and the rest of the school board, then the issues of systematic racism will continue to go on un-challenged. School officials such as principal Rousseau need to actively realize that they do have issues and that their schools are not perfect and then take the appropriate measures to begin to fix these problems.

Finally, we visited the Clinton School of Public Service today. This is easily my favorite stop on the entire pilgrimage. It is so great to hear from actual students who are actively working to become public servants in so many different ways. It really inspires me to consider applying there and getting a master’s degree there at some point in my future. I’m not quite sure how it would fit into an education degree, but that is what I am going to try and figure out when I get back from this trip. Another great thing that came from this visit was our discussion that followed afterwards. We all decided on three things that we are going to do when we get back to campus to keep our lightbulbs on and actively make a difference within our own communities on campus. Mine are as follows.:        

1.      Take the initiative to sit by someone I don’t know/is different from me instead of friends when I’m in class.

2.      Begin to question people as to why they view racial jokes as funny or why they say certain racist comments, etc.

3.      Begin to combat the things that I have internalized about myself as a person from a multicultural family. I have internalized many negative things about myself that I never realized until I started to look at the deeper roots of things in this society and I now would like to keep reading up on prejudice, injustice, and racism and begin to unlearn the stereotypes I’ve been presented with my entire life.

These are the things that I will work on with all my energy when I get back to Eau Claire next week. I know that I can accomplish it if I really put my mind to it, and I hope you all will hold me accountable for these things and be brave enough to set similar goals for yourself and tell someone/some other people about them so they can hold you accountable too.

What is an Education?

As students at a liberal arts institution each of us on this trip is in the process of pursuing an education.  One of main tenants of this education is the idea that we must question the world around.  Our professors have taught us to approach the world not as sceptics but as critical thinkers and this trip has given each of us the opportunity apply those critical thinking skills to our own lives and the world around us.  During the course of this trip we have learned that our nation's history is filled with darker injustices and greater crimes than any of us have been led to believe.  We have seen the brick and mortar realities that we have only glossed over in history books before moving on to the next chapter.  We have also seen that the injustices of our past are not confined to our past and neither are the men and women who fight them.

We have seen injustice alive and well and learned that it is bounded neither the covers of our history books nor by the Mason-Dixon Line.  Racism exists in Eau Claire as well as in Selma and this trip has given us the opportunity to explore how that racism works and how it has changed from the Jim Crow segregation of our textbooks.

This trip has helped us to approach our education, our perceptions, and our own opinions with a critical eye.  This is not to say thay we have come away with a disparaging view of the United States but instead thay we have glimpsed a side of our past and our present that our high school teachers had neither the time nor the resources to show us.  Most importantly though it has provided us with a means of improving our future.  We have recognized that problems past are also problems present and been inspired by the freedom fighters of the past to address these problems.

For me this trip has been an essential part of my education.  It has taken the two-dimesnional facts of our classroom education and added an essential tjird dimension.  Our formal education has brought us as far as possible within the walls of a classroom but this experience has pushed us farther and I have every intention of pursuing further such opportunities.

We All Need to Be Foot Soldiers

January 8, 2013

Today was a very moving day. Today we left Montgomery, AL, and drove the 54 miles to Selma, AL – the exact same route that the march followed from Selma to the Capitol building (except in reverse). There were several things on the slate for the day: Bus Tour with Mrs. Bland, Slavery Reenactment, Voting Rights Museum, and then a march across the bridge in the same manner the original march took place (the second of which was successful). Of course, not everything goes as planned every time.

Meeting Mrs. Joanne Bland was a wonderful experience! She was part of the original group of protesters to walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, in their march to the Capitol to hand a petition to Governor George Wallace to extend voting rights to African Americans. She is certainly an interesting person to talk with, and I very much enjoyed meeting someone who was actually present for this part of history.

We then went on a bus tour with Mrs. Bland. She gave us a thorough history as she recalls Selma from “back in the day.” Selma is very largely an African American community and always has been. It is very poverty stricken and it is heartbreaking to see a place with so much history be so run down.

The Slavery Reenactment was perhaps the most emotional part of the day. We were lined up like slaves. Treated like slaves. Talked to like slaves. At first I was appalled and wanted desperately to speak out against the “master’s” intolerance, but had to remind myself of what I was experiencing. This reenactment was definitely hitting a few nerves, but it was nowhere near the intensity or cruelty present back in the times of slaves.

We also went to the Voting Rights Museum, which was interesting to see all of the different faces and places involved in the push for voting rights. Towards the end of our walkthrough of the museum, there ended up being an incident on the Edmund Pettus Bridge, so we were unable to do the march across.

My professor for this class (and also the organizer of this trip), the Associate Dean of Students, Jodi Thesing-Ritter, has been and will forever continue to be a role model for me. She has done great things and I’d just like to acknowledge how much she is appreciated for the work she does. Jodi and I were discussing the march across the bridge, and how marching across the bridge could be a very moving experience for me because I support the fight for LGBTQ equality, and the movement really has to be about ordinary people making a difference, not just a couple people who speak on behalf of equality – the gay rights movement, too, needs their own “freedom’s foot soldiers,” as the Civil Rights Movement did. I plan on marching across that bridge in the morning before we leave town!

That’s all I’ve got today, folks. 

Greg Hofmann

Junior - UWEC

Political Science & Student Affairs

Emotions Run High in Selma

Today we visited Selma, Alabama. Although I've been to this city on the pilgrimage before, there were a few things that were different this time around than when I went in spring of 2011. The first thing that I'd like to address is the slavery reenactment. I don't think there are sufficient words to describe the incredible emotions I felt as Afriye led us through this experience. As we were led into and through the building having our peers yell at us to help them and being able to do absolutely nothing about it was one of the scariest and worst feelings in the entire world. I had thoughts of stepping up and taking a stand but then I would think about the fact that if I did so she might not only hurt me, but the people I was trying to help. This forced me to stay complacent and do whatever she told us to do. Now I know this may sound silly to those of you who were not actually on the reenactment with us, but it felt so real while it was happening. I couldn't help myself from shedding a more than a few tears throughout and letting my emotions run wild. It made me learn that there is nothing we can do to change the past. The past happened and however awful it was, there's nothing we can do to change that fact. What we can do in the here and now is make absolute positive that it will never ever happen again. We must make sure that history does not repeat itself because although there is no longer slavery there was back before the 13th amendment, there is still racism in almost all aspects of society and certainly all across the United States. It is important that we treat what happened during slavery as a learning experience to ensure that nothing of that magnitude ever happens within our country's borders, or the world for that matter, again.

Another thing that I would like to take a minute to talk about is Miss Joann Bland. She took us around the city of Selma today and showed us all of the historical landmarks as well as gave us her account of what happened on Bloody Sunday right here in Selma. Watching videos and reading books about a historical event is one thing, but being able to hear a personal account of what happened and interacting with her brings an entirely different experience with it. Miss Bland is so knowledgeable about all aspects of the moment and she is so fun to talk to and so willing to answer all of our questions.

All in all, Selma, Alabama has once again made a huge impact on my life. What I have been able to experience here in Selma today has not only opened my eyes to many of the problems of our society, it has absolutely inspired me to take a stand and try to make a change!!!!!

Like a Mighty Stream

Today we did a lot of walking throughout Montgomery.  We visited the State Capitol, the Rosa Parks Museum, and the Dexter Street Baptist Church, all in addition to a walking tour of the city led by our fabulous coordinators.  The most significant part for me though was our time at the Southern Poverty Law Center.  As a pre-law student who one day hopes to be an attorney, I was provided with a glimpse of the awesome potential of the law to be both a force for good and for evil. Laws were used to both segregate and integrate blacks into Southern society and were it not for federal intervention and Supreme Court rulings, segregation might still be in effect today.  Today I realized more fully than ever before that laws are merely tools, neither good nor evil but always powerful, and that the true nature of law is determined by those who create and execute it. 

As an aspiring attorney I was also struck by the human element involved in the fight against and for certain laws.  Neither the segregationist laws nor the systems that they supported were able to stop the men and women who demanded their repeal.  The people of the movement were able to shift the law, long the guardian of segregation, to become a force for good.  The power rested not with the law but with the people and that is perhaps the greatest lesson I learned today - the law is immensely powerful, but the human element must always remain supreme.

A law does not equal justice, but it can.  The key lies in forcing these two separate but related elements together and fusing them together to create a force for good.  Only when the justice system is in fact a just system will, "justice roll down likes waters and righteousness like a mighty stream."

Words

Words

Words. We put them together to form sentences, and string those together to form paragraphs and speech. I’d just like to say a few things about words in today’s post.

First of all, I am at a TOTAL loss for words as to how to describe this trip. Phenomenal. Life-changing. Eye-opening. Insightful. Just a few words that come to mind. The reason I have a hard time actually finding words to describe the power of this pilgrimage is because of the overwhelming feeling that comes over you – an aura of empowerment, drawing on the courage and dedication of the activists in the Civil Rights Movement, but also horror when we learn of the heinous acts against African Americans.

Another thing about words. Sometimes we don’t say them. Sometimes we don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings. Sometimes we don’t think it is politically correct. In my opinion, circumventing the words that were ever present in the Civil Rights Movement is a cop-out. An embarrassment to the PEOPLE and to the HISTORY of the times. For example, many people say “the n-word” instead of it’s less politically correct form. We know everybody is thinking it in their heads. I don’t endorse by any means calling someone by this very derogatory term, but by trying to cover it up, it is almost erasing history as it really happened.

I had an experience today where it seemed like people were trying to erase history, more specifically, the African Americans’ plight for freedom and equality. While touring the Alabama State Capitol, I noticed several things that seemed…off. The first, they hung the coat of armor of every country they have belonged to, except the United States of America. When the tour guide was asked about this, her response was simply “If we had another wall, we’d put it up.” This doesn’t seem like a legitimate excuse to me, as they are currently part of the USA and will likely always be part of the USA. Another thing that got me extremely fired up is when I noticed that the murals painted along the walls that had the history of Alabama on it neglected to include any mention of African Americans. The only semblance of African Americans was one figure who was painted to look happy, when we know that through their turmoil and struggles, this simply was not the case. I asked the tour guide why they didn’t change them to include the history of the African Americans and the struggles they faced; she said to me in a forthright tone, “we can’t just change the murals because that would be like rewriting history.” Excuse me?! Maybe I’m wrong in thinking this, but by not including this at the Capitol and circumventing the topic when it is brought up, they are only choosing to ignore this ‘blemish’ on the Alabama State history.

Those paragraphs. Sentences. Words. When it comes to the true meaning of it, sometimes words need to be said, no matter how politically correct or incorrect they are.

Below are some photos I took during the day today, just to give anyone reading this any idea of what we’ve done. (Click to view a larger size) :) 

Standing at this podium was very powerful to me, as it was the podium original to when Dr. King was at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, his first congregation. Below is a group picture at the church. 

Alabama State Capitol

We had to :)

Some proud Minnesotans at the Capitol! 

"Until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream" - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. -- Civil Rights Memorial

Emmett Till and his mother Mamie Till-Mobley are very powerful figures to me. 

I signed my name!

The corner at which Rosa Parks was arrested.

A neat Gandhi quote at the historical Greyhound Bus Station in Montgomery, AL. 

We finished off a very full day with getting even MORE full on BBQ at Dreamland BBQ! 

Greg Hofmann

Junior - UWEC

Political Science & Student Affairs

Day 3-Montgomery, AL

Today we saw a lot of incredible things. The part that had the most impact on me today was the church service at Ebenezer Baptist. Talking about pushing the reset button really hit home not only on many personal levels for  me in my life, but also in regards to what we have been talking about throughout the trip and in the class. None of us are perfect in any sense of the word. We all have flaws and things that we need to improve on. Reverend Warnock emphasized the importance of first realizing that you yourself are not perfect. You first have to admit that there are things about you that are not good or need improving. This is very true when I look at myself in regards to racism. There are still assumptions that I make about certain groups of people just because of where they are from or what they look like and that’s something that I really need to work hard at. As Reverend Warnock said, just because you identify your own problems doesn’t make it certain that these things will just magically change on their own. You have to work, and work hard, to ensure that these aspects of your life can change.

            The Civil Rights Institute today also really made me think about certain things. As we walked through, as we talked about in class, there were many women present in the photographs in the museum but it was very rare to see a woman with an article or exhibit based on her. This is the epitome of sexism. Women were so very important to this movement yet the men get the credit for all of their hard work. Now this is not to say that the men didn’t work hard as well, because they did, but the women worked just as hard and get almost none of the credit. Women were the reason the Montgomery Bus Boycott was able to happen, yet the only woman that you hear about in regards to that specific event is Rosa Parks. This lack of female representation in the movement not only degrades the women who were involved so deeply and whole heartedly in the movement, but also the young girls and women of today’s society. Today’s females begin to internalize the fact that women aren’t supposed to be put in the spotlight and that causes them to have less confidence in themselves and their potential. In a weird way, this lack of female representation also affects males in today’s society. They see that there are very few females that are talked about or recognized in the history books and they begin to believe that men are the only people that can be in positions of power and internalize that notion and, although maybe unknowingly, begin to oppress women.

            Today made me begin to realize things about myself that I need to start to work on a little bit more. Montgomery tomorrow, bring it on! 

Day 2- Atlanta, GA and Birmingham, AL

Today we saw a lot of incredible things. The part that had the most impact on me today was the church service at Ebenezer Baptist. Talking about pushing the reset button really hit home not only on many personal levels for  me in my life, but also in regards to what we have been talking about throughout the trip and in the class. None of us are perfect in any sense of the word. We all have flaws and things that we need to improve on. Reverend Warnock emphasized the importance of first realizing that you yourself are not perfect. You first have to admit that there are things about you that are not good or need improving. This is very true when I look at myself in regards to racism. There are still assumptions that I make about certain groups of people just because of where they are from or what they look like and that’s something that I really need to work hard at. As Reverend Warnock said, just because you identify your own problems doesn’t make it certain that these things will just magically change on their own. You have to work, and work hard, to ensure that these aspects of your life can change.

            The Civil Rights Institute today also really made me think about certain things. As we walked through, as we talked about in class, there were many women present in the photographs in the museum but it was very rare to see a woman with an article or exhibit based on her. This is the epitome of sexism. Women were so very important to this movement yet the men get the credit for all of their hard work. Now this is not to say that the men didn’t work hard as well, because they did, but the women worked just as hard and get almost none of the credit. Women were the reason the Montgomery Bus Boycott was able to happen, yet the only woman that you hear about in regards to that specific event is Rosa Parks. This lack of female representation in the movement not only degrades the women who were involved so deeply and whole heartedly in the movement, but also the young girls and women of today’s society. Today’s females begin to internalize the fact that women aren’t supposed to be put in the spotlight and that causes them to have less confidence in themselves and their potential. In a weird way, this lack of female representation also affects males in today’s society. They see that there are very few females that are talked about or recognized in the history books and they begin to believe that men are the only people that can be in positions of power and internalize that notion and, although maybe unknowingly, begin to oppress women.

            Today made me begin to realize things about myself that I need to start to work on a little bit more. Montgomery tomorrow, bring it on! 

Hellooooo Atlanta!

Today we spoke with Charles Person. Now I knew quite a bit about the Freedom riders going into the meeting with Mr. Person, but what he said to us resonated with me in a big way. He spoke to us not only about his experience on the buses but also encouraged us to get involved. I feel that I have greatly overlooked the status of society today. Since the overt racism of the world is, for the most part, not relevant anymore, I thought that the fight for Civil Rights was over. I couldn’t be more wrong. Although the race relations today are significantly better than they were when Mr. Person was my age, they are not anywhere near completely resolved. We as a generation and a society need to come together and get the fire lit underneath us once again.

            In today’s society, there are so many things that are wrong and unjust. Mr. Person got us all thinking about what we were passionate about, and we continued the discussion in class later. I found that there were a couple of things that bugged me and grinded my gears: the lack of gay rights in our society, and the abuse of children whether it be emotional or physical. I know now that I need to do whatever I can to make a difference. Although in the past I used to feel as if one person couldn’t make a difference unless they were rich or powerful, I have now come to the realization that my assumption was completely off the mark. Anyone from any background or walk of life can make a difference in today’s world. Having come to this realization in just one day on the trip, I can’t wait to see what else I learn about myself and the things that I can do to help make a difference in today’s society.

            Although I learned a lot from hearing Mr. Person speak and inspire us, I think the part of today that had the biggest impact on me was our discussion in class about the privileges that we all have, regardless of who we are or where we come from. Before you asked us the question, I already knew what privilege meant in regards to race/racism, but I had never really thought about what it meant to me personally. As a coordinator, the other students in my discussion groups sort of looked to me to start off the discussion, and as much as I would have loved to, I really couldn’t think of anything right off the bat. It took me a good five minutes of thinking before I could really fathom the fact that I had privileges that others didn’t have. I guess I just kind of thought that privilege applied to people who were the “perfect center” of the circle you drew on the board in class the other day. After I finally thought of some examples, like getting more questions directed at me during presentations with a female partner, I started to pull at the thread and discovered many more privileges of my own that I never even really knew that I had.

            The hardest part of the discussion on privilege for me was thinking about how we can undo that privilege for ourselves. I guess I never was able to wrap my head fully around that during class except for little things like directing more questions toward a female partner during a presentation. I mean, I do know that all big changes start from little efforts from individuals, but I still have a hard time wrapping my head around it. It’s a great, interesting, stimulating conversation but I need to work on some answers for myself before I continue it I think.

            Today has been a great learning experience; I can’t wait until tomorrow to see what Ebenezer and Birmingham have to offer! 

"My name is Karen Hansen, and I'm now on the Wall of Tolerance."

After visiting at least five more museums and having more guided tours throughout Montgomery, Alabama (Dexter Baptist Church, Alabama State Capitol, Rosa Parks Museum, Civil Rights Memorial Center, Freedom Riders Museum, etc.)...I can say I've learned "a few things" about the Civil Rights Movement.

Most moving took place at the Civil Rights Memorial Center, sponsored by the Southern Poverty Law Center.  After looking at a wall of martyrs, discussing their impact, a moving film, and a walk through more examples of injustice, we entered a room called the Wall of Tolerance.  Here, we had an opportunity to stand up against prejudice, hate, and injustice and sign our names, making a pledge to be for equality the rest of our lives.  This is the pledge we sign:

By placing my name on the Wall of Tolerance, I pledge to take a stand against hate, injustice and intolerance. I will work in my daily life for justice, equality and human rights - the ideals for which the Civil Rights martyrs died.

Students names projected on the Wall of Tolerance

We also had the opportunity to tour the Alabama State Capitol.  Today, I critically listened to the information shared by our tour guide and observed the images and captions in the building.  Some of the murals in the rotunda depicted Native Americans in a poor light, calling them "Hostile...Indians.'  We also discussed the portrayal of the "Golden Period," which was at the height of slavery.  This was a time of wealth and leisure for the whites, but didn't consider the lives of others.

Who are we to call this race hostile when we are the ones taking the land? Who are we to think life is all about our own success and recreation when there are plenty of other people out there suffering, needing to be fought for?  Why must history be shown in a way that glorifies only the positives of our politics and history, ignoring the negative?  The tour guide mentioned that it would involve re-writing the state's history if they were to re-do the murals to incorporate the Civil Rights Movement.

Have they re-written history already?

Field trips go to this building all the time, guiding 4th grade children through the historical walls and depictions of life as it should be and is.  If these words and images are shown without explanation to the children, then the cycles will continue to turn, bringing us further into a world full of labels and misunderstanding.

Alabama's Coat of Arms...where's the U.S. flag?

Today, while at the Capitol, Jodi Thesing-Ritter asked us aloud during the tour to think critically about the images and words we were seeing.  I immediately felt this tension that Jodi shouldn't be bringing up such a sensitive topic in front of the state staff.  Didn't she know that was disrespectful?

But she was right.

Jodi prompted us to think about how the fear of political correctness and making mistakes can sometimes hinder our communication and our dialogue.  If she would have chosen to say something differently, less forward, or just nothing at all, I would not have thought nearly in the same way I did this afternoon.

Senate room in the Capitol.  Note the flag and artwork.

This means getting enough courage to say something to our local and state government, to creating petitions, to collaborating with others.  This may mean re-evaluating the material and agenda of a 4th grade field trip for educators to make sure the students are taught an accurate account of national history, INCLUDING the Civil Rights Movement.  INCLUDING the roles of men and women.  This means breaking down the systematic racism in our classrooms and in our buildings.

It may mean baby steps.  I learned today at the Rosa Parks Museum that the NAACP and MIA were not seeking to completely integrate the buses, but rather, they wanted to create a system that filled buses back-to-front with coloreds, and front-to-back with whites, at a first-come, first-serve basis.  They did not want to have to give up their seats for any reason.

Relevant.  Why?  They took baby steps.  Obviously, they knew what was right.  They knew they deserved seats at the very front of the bus, but they understood that change takes time.  They were strong and firm in their convictions, but led intentionally and successfully in creating the phenomenal  change of the Civil Rights Movement.
Your words matter.  It may be uncomfortable, but I know I've been raised in society to feel that way.  Of course, I do not want to offend anyone, but I must stand up for what I believe is right when confronted with a situation that belittles another person or group of people.

What is important is that I chose to agree to the words in italics above, agreeing to stand for justice.

"...Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream." - MLK, Jr.

- Karen Hansen
Senior at UW - Eau Claire
Public Relations/Kinesiology

Montgomery and the Confederacy

Today, we visited Montgomery, Ala., home to the Capitol and state government.

It was a powerful trip, and we were able to visit the church Martin Luther King Jr. was a lead pastor at for six years and see the spot where Rosa Parks got on the bus and refused to leave her seat. The museum dedicated to her was quite a learning experience.

But the most emotional part of the day, by far, was seeing the inside and surroundings of the state Capitol building. Below is a picture of former Gov. George Wallace, who oversaw much of the resistance to the Civil Rights Movement during his tenure. That portrait is in the main rotunda on the second floor of the Capitol, and will stay there permanently due to a state law requiring it to stay. The tour guide explained it is because he is the state's longest-serving governor.

That's an interesting point. He served a total of 16 years in the office, in four terms (one set of two consecutive). But, does length of service equal worthiness of honor? No. Wallace was a segregationist. He did terrible things while governor. But the state, in 2013, celebrates him in a way they celebrate no one else. Additionally, there is a confederate flag in the background of his portrait. Wallace's first year in office was 1963, just under a century after the Civil War, and the confederacy, ended. Why was this flag ever in the governor's office?

Another question: Why is the flag in the two chambers in the state Capitol? While neither the assembly or senate use the Capitol chambers anymore, both had a confederate flag displayed. The senate chamber had ONLY a confederate flag displayed. The tour guide explained the room was restored to be as it was in 1861. That's cool, showing history and all.

But fourth graders tour that building. They see that confederate flag, and likely come to the understanding that it's a good symbol. It creates a system in which they grow up supporting it, and then the cycle continues.

The cycle needs to end somewhere. It is up to our generation to make changes. The current young generation of Alabamians was likely raised to believe the confederacy was a good thing, or at least some of them were. We need to have conversations with them, and explain why it's not. While it is horrible to glorify the confederacy and what it stood for (slavery, among other things), we cannot blame people who were raised to feel that way. They may not have had the opportunity to think another way, but we need to give it to them.