Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Still amazing on my 8th trip

I am traveling with colleagues, 100 college students, my 14 year old daughter and her friend. It has been an amazing experience to have the opportunity to travel with this group of special people. We have learned so much about our history and we have been challenged to think about the ways in which that history can inform our future. We have been challenged to get on the bus (Mr. Person), get up off our behinds (Ms. Bland), and educate ourselves and have courage (Coach Huggins). We have also struggled with the issues of patriarchy, privilege, re-segregation of our schools, and modern racism in our group discussions. Even though I have made this personal and professional journey eight times now, I am always amazed at how much I grow and learn each time. I have been challenged in new ways each time that fortifies me for the work that lies ahead as I work for social justice in my own sphere of influence. We have much work to do in our world today. I am so grateful to have this opportunity to be challenged so that I can be better , do more and work harder for change.
We walked across the historic Edmund Pettus Bridge to reenact the Bloody Sunday march.

We toured the voting rights institute and learned about the Selma Movement and the voting rights movement around the country.



We participated in a slavery reenactment that challenged all of us. Afriye helped us to learn and grow from the challenging experience.



While in Selma we completed four different service projects. One team cleaned the Voting Rights park. One team assisted with archiving projects at the Voting Rights Institute. Another team worked at the McRae Learning Academy and the final group worked at Tabernacle Baptist Church.






At the Southern Poverty Law Center students had the opportunity to take a pledge and have their names placed on the wall of tolerance. My daughter Morgan placed her name on the wall along with the many students with our group.




We had a wonderful lecture from the staff at the Southern Poverty Law Center.




We visited Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, Dr. King's church while he was in Montgomery, on our walking tour of Montgomery.





My AMAZING Blugold Beginnings Learning Community students pose in front of the fountain at the Civil Rights Memorial at the Southern Poverty Law Center. This fantastic group of students has had an amazing experience on the trip. We are all very grateful for the Blugold Commitment funding that has made this trip possible for the BBLC. They are all motivated to work for social justice when they return to Eau Claire.


Bus One at the Civil Rights Memorial.




Bus One Trip Coordinators: Mathias Hughey, Elsa Kraus, and Paul Williams. Thanks for all of your hard work to make this trip possible, team!



Ms. Bland challenges Eve to know the history of the movement so she can use it to make change in our world today.




Learning about the Voting Rights March that ended at the steps of the State Capital of Alabama in Montgomery.



Bus One following a tour of the state capital building. Thanks to our wonderful tour guide for sharing some of the state's history. Students critically assessed the elements of the history of Alabama that were left out in the tour.



Our entire group...109 people strong at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta on Sunday. What a good looking group!!!


Christine King Farris (Dr. King's sister) addresses the congregation (that included us) on the 126 th anniversary of Ebenezer Baptist Church. What an honor for us to hear her speak!

1 comment:

  1. I want to Thank You and the coordinators for planning and executing a great trip. My expectations were surpassed.

    ReplyDelete