Day 7: The End = A New Beginning

It seems all too fitting to end our seven-day odyssey in Atlanta along Auburn Avenue. This location has long been the heart of Black Atlanta. It is also the birthplace of Martin Luther King, Jr., the location of his home church Ebenezer Baptist, and the site of his and Coretta Scott King's tombs.



The students spent the morning taking in the sites along Auburn. Each time I have visited, there is always a buzz throughout the couple of blocks between Ebenezer and the King birth home. Saturday was no different. We saw local folk going about their daily routines, tourists taking in the sites, school groups like ours absorbing the historical information at every turn, and even families using the surroundings as a background for organized reunions. Amazingly, we bumped into the very youth group from the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute who toured us through their facility three days earlier.

The National Park Service operates a visitor center devoted to King's work and legacy. It holds an intimate but informative museum complete with a hands-on children's section, engaging video clips, and several artifacts from the era. What I found most engaging, however, was a brief 15-minute film titled "Children of Courage," which accounted the contributions of young men and women throughout the Movement. The film also showed a contemporary classroom of students the age of the Stratford-Richardson youth. They all voiced a promise to continue the positive work of King, John Lewis and Dianne Nash, the Little Rock 9, the Children's March veterans, and hosts of others who prepared the way for this generation.

Few, including me, feel that the sacrifices and victories of the Movement veterans have solved every problem facing our society. Hard, yet rewarding, work remains to make the "beloved community" that King and others envisioned a reality. With a new generation being introduced to the impact that Movement participants had on their society, I feel confident that young people, like those at the Stratford-Richardson YMCA and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (and many of other organizations doing positive work), will look for ways to be positively engaged in their communities, nation, and world.



Our work doesn't end with the culmination of this tour. . . . Here is where we begin.

In just 10 days, the participants on the tour will meet to develop ways to share their experiences with the broader community. One way that we plan to accomplish this is through an exhibit of photography and student reflection. Please re-visit the blog, stay in touch with me or the Stratford-Richardson YMCA for upcoming information.

Day Six: Weary Feet, Rested Souls - Montgomery

I'm almost embarrassed to return to this time honored paraphrase of a Montgomery Bus Boycott participant when asked how she was holding up after months of steering clear of the city bus lines. I use it while teaching; I introduced it to our students on tour; it is currently my facebook status update; it is the title from an on-line journal I wrote while on tour with a University of Virginia group led by Julian Bond (see http://historytravels.blogspot.com).

But, I refuse to apologize for overuse of a perfect visual for what my students and I are feeling on Day Six of our tour. We've endured three-days of 90+ degree heat (reached 100 today) and stifling humidity. We reached the 1,600 mile mark on the bus today. Any drive longer than 20 minutes, and everyone in the group is sound asleep, save me and my wife, Molly--our support vehicle driver. Dinners seldom happen until after 8 or 9 o'clock. Lunches are always on the run to the next venue. Pool time in the hotel seems ubiquitously cut short due to time constraints.



I witnessed the group reach a critical turning point at the close of our tour through Montgomery today. And it surprised me, I must admit. My expectations prepared me for the gripe-fest and selfish overtones that generally accompany a week away from familiar surroundings--comfy pillows and bed, mom's home cookin', and that well-worn chair in the living room. I had steadied myself not to react to any negative vibes coming from exceedingly tired young folk (I've seen the worst happen in college groups overseas and have been one of the "ready to get home at any cost" tour participants a time or two, also).

But, at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church Parsonage, the Stratford-Richardson teens, instead of falling into the tour malaise, individually approached me (on their own terms) and thanked me for allowing them to be on the trip. It was a heartfelt moment--honest to the core. I had to fight back the proud parent moment that usually makes me grab my children and pull them close in a bear hug.



Maybe it was our destinations today that made the difference. We walked through Dexter Avenue Baptist Church (King's first appointment as pastor). The students learned that the building was constructed on property that had once been a Montgomery slave pen--only a stone's throw from the state capitol of Alabama. They each stood behind the pulpit that King used, imagining themselves stirring a crowd into action with a rhetorical flourish. They walked though the King family home in Montgomery, considering the humble environs and relieved to know that terrorist bombers in 1956 did not harm anyone with their unwarranted attack--and amazed that King demanded a non-violent reaction in the face this unjust deed. At the Civil Rights Memorial Center of the Southern Poverty Law Center, the students were introduced to 40 martyrs of the Movement. Moreover, they were encouraged to participate in the ongoing battles against injustices big and small by placing their names on the Wall of Tolerance. This act would now make them participants of the Movement--no longer simply students. To their credit, every student, adult, and even my young children signed the pledge. Their names now cascade down the Wall with the likes of Julian Bond and Morris Dees.



But as I look for an explanation of the positive turning point on our trip--where many begin to turn somewhat sour, I realize that I need only to look at the young men and women themselves. In the short time I've know them, they have matured beyond their years. Now, true, they still know how to be silly and have fun, but they are forever changed through this experience. My sense is that not only do each of them realize this, but they are beginning to embrace the possibilities.

Day 5: "Get in the Way" - Selma

In March 2008, I had the opportunity to meet a historical hero of mine, John Lewis. Congressman Lewis was a participant of just about every significant struggle of the Civil Rights era, from the sit-ins to voter rights initiatives. Moreover, he continues to lead the charge to secure the most basic of human rights for citizens of the nation and world. During my few short moments with him, I asked what I, as a professor interested in teaching Movement history, should instruct students to take from the example that he and so many others set some 50 years before. Congressman Lewis didn't even hesitate to search for a proper answer. He looked me in the eye and simply said, "Tell your students to get in the way."



Throughout his adult life, Lewis has been the embodiment of "getting in the way." He laid his life on the line more than once and has the physical scars to prove it. But more importantly for him is the continued progress toward justice and freedom that society has taken and the willingness of generations after him to follow his lead.

It is this reason why I wanted the Stratford-Richardson teens to visit Selma, Alabama. All too often, the events that took place throughout the early months of 1965 are seldom mentioned in school classrooms with the weight of the Montgomery Bus Boycott or Birmingham Children's Marches. However, to hear veterans of the Movement explain the narrative, Selma seems to be the hallmark.

The group booked a Footprints to Freedom tour with the National Voting Rights Museum. This allowed us to visit the small, but compelling exhibit halls of the museum, to see the landmarks of the Selma campaign, including the Brown Chapel AMC Church (the organizational hub for the 1965 marches). Our tour guide, Sam, directed us through a mind-boggling series of details that led to the Selma to Montgomery march. More importantly for our students though was the willingness of Mr. Sam to share his memories of 1965. He was 11 years old that year--so much like our time spent in Birmingham, the students could directly connect him to their own lives. In addition, they now had someone tangible to discuss those experiences with. No longer were Movement participants simply pictures, words on a page, or a series of monuments; they were flesh and bone.



A surprise element to our tour was a visit to the Slavery and Civil War Museum. There the group participated in a historical drama that similated what the experience of slavery must have been like for millions of men, women, and children compelled to relinquish their freedom and dignity. The experience was chilling, and as a teacher concerned me somewhat. I didn't quite know how these young men and women might handle the in-your-face approach to history. Thankfully, a planned discussion and reflection ended the program. Amist tears and emotion, we shared the experience, questions, and vowed to return home changed people.

Our final task was to march the Edmund Pettus Bridge, which has become the most recognizable symbol of Selma--tied directly with the brutality of the Alabama State Patrol, the bravery of voting rights marchers, and one of the most significant successes of the Movemnt. I walked the bridge with both my daughters, Elly and Sarah. Young Sarah (who is 6) was particularly worried about the height of the bridge and the swift waters of the Alabama River below. She wasn't sure that she wanted to cross to the other side. I reminded her that this was the very bridge that John Lewis marched across in 1965. For her 1st grade Social Studies project, Sarah created a biographical poster explaining Congressman Lewis's historical significance. I told her the story of Mr. Lewis crossing the bridge knowing that he would probably be beaten that day. The alternative to jump into the waters below proved not much better for him--he could not swim. Yet, with all those realities facing him, John Lewis vowed to "get in the way."



That was enough for Sarah to raise her head up and proudly march the rest of the way.

The Team

I think it is important for me to introduce the teens that are participating in this trip. As you know, they could have been doing anything else but they chose to participate in this great experience! Each teen was hand selected! Some of them are new to the teen program and some of them are very active! No matter what, they all have new life long friends!

Beau - 12 years old Beau is new to the Stratford Richardson YMCA but not new to the YMCA. He got on the bus and immediately made friends! THIS KID IS HILARIOUS!! I am soo glad he joined us on this trip!

Ms. Jasmine - 15 years old This sweetie pie is soo smart! I can always depend on her (and her mother) to participate in all of the activities at the Stratford Richardson YMCA! Look at for her...she is going places!

Arqueis - 15 years old He purchased that harmonica at the Delta Blues Museum and has been practicing ever since! He is an avid basketball player but who knows...maybe he found a new passion on this trip!

Aliyah - 14 years old This young lady has been asking for Starbucks ever since she got on the bus! (she lucked up because our hotel in birmingham actually serves starbucks) She is such a great girl! Only the best for this one!



Rashaad - 13 years old Dont let that look fool you! This one is a funny one too! Rashaad is also new to the program but he didnt let that stop him! He got on the bus and immediately became friends with everyone!

Ne-Ne - 17 years old My baby Ne Ne! This young lady has soo much talent and she proves it everyday on the bus when she just breaks out and sings random songs for us! We have heard everything from Aretha Franklin to Disney Tunes!

Fredo - 16 years old This is our "Y Child". Fredo cant go a day without coming to the YMCA and if he does, the whole staff starts looking for him!

Ms. Kalisha - 17 years old Kalisha is a great ball player! I went to one of her games and saw her sink a 3 point shot at the buzzer! But we have learned something else about Kalisha on this trip....THE GIRL LOVES RIBS!!! As a matter of fact she and Arqueis wrote a song about her love of ribs to his harmonica!

Quan - 14 years old Our dancing man! While Ne Ne is singing, Quan is dancing! Which provides for great times on the bus!

Mr. Mike - The mastermind of this whole trip and our tour guide!

Ms. Molly - Our videographer!

Elly and Sarah - Our adopted sisters

Mr. Malachia - my right hand man and the kids favorite counselor

And me Ms. Jessica - People ask me "Do you have any kids?" I say....hundreds of them! All my kids at work! Off to Selma!

Wish you were here! XOXO,

Ms. Jessica

Day 4 - Birmingham, Alabama

Today was a special treat for the teens! They really got to see how children (their age)participated in the Civil Rights Movement! While we were at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (which is one of the best museums i have ever been to) we recieved a special treat. Our tour guides were high school students! Let me tell you...these teens were sharp! 15 years old and they had memorized dates, names, locations! IT WAS AMAZING!! I couldn't stop telling them how proud I was of them! I also told them that they were welcome at the YMCA in Charlotte anytime! When I left, the young lady that's in charge of the tour guide program told me that there were already making plans to come visit! :) Anyway....here are the pics from Day 4! Hope you enjoy!

Teens at the Birmingham YMCA Youth Center! (i think i might have shed a tear when I walked in this place! A program director's dream facility! LOL!)

Teens at the 16th Street Baptist Church where the 4 little girls were killed.


This is one of my favorite shots. This is a statue in Kelly Ingram Park. The statue says "I Ain't Afraid of Your Jail". I told the teens I wanted to take a picture of them in front of the statue, but I only wanted them to get in the picture if they believed the message and could do what the children before them had done. As you can see...all of them are in the picture!



Teens on the 16th Street Baptist Church steps.



We are off to Selma tomorrow! Day 5 here we come!





Wish You Were Here! XOXO,

Ms. Jessica

Day 3 - Photos from Mississippi

Day 3 was a long day but great day! At one point I felt a little bad for Mr. Mike. Next year we have got to get a charter bus! :) We traveled from Memphis, TN to Birmingham, AL. Here are some pictures of our journey!!

A statue of James Meredith on the campus of Ole Miss (University of Mississippi)

Teens walking in "the cirle" on the campus of Ole Miss

This picture is actually from Day 2 in Memphis but I had to share it!

Mr. Mike enjoying his dry ribs (a Memphis treat!) at Corky's.

Teens and Chaperones at the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, MS.


The infamous Crossroads in Mississippi. It is believed that blues great Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil at this location.




Wish you were here! XOXO,

Ms. Jessica

Day 4 Birmingham by Beau

The first stop that we made was to the Kelly Ingram park. To me, this was the most interesting thing about this trip. There were sculptors of attack dogs and children being hosed down by fire hoses. If you didn't know this, Kelly Ingram park was the spot where the Children's March was. It was a little disturbing, but the fascinating spots and sculptors drew me in.

The next spot was the Civil Rights Institute. It was a hands-down well performed tour. I learned about James Maredith, the man who integrated the Mississippi University, otherwise known as Ole Miss. The scary thing about him was he was attempted to be assassinated and had to be escorted to class and everywhere on campus by soldiers 24/7. The sad part was he was attacked from a bush, and hit with a shotgun blast.

The last place we visited was the 16th Street Baptist Church. This church is special because 4 teenage girls were killed by a bomb here in 1963. The spot was rebuilt into a kitchen, which was a bit disturbing to me, because something like that should be preserved. It was also where mass meetings would be held to plan sit-ins and marches and other retaliation to the white man. In my opinion, the most important thing this church served as, was when they marched to the bridge, they refuged back here. The scary thing was the tear-gassed them and once they got to the church, the shot the windows.

Kelly Ingram Park

Today we visited the Kelly Ingram Park first and it was such an amazing experience. You could imagine everything, it was as if you were there living in that moment. The statue of the Police Dogs and the other statues such as Martin Luther King Jr., and the children getting pressed against the wall with the water hoses was very touching to see. At first I didn't think I would have participated but after visiting these places and seeing these statues I have changed my mind completely. What I saw really made me feel as if I was there during that time. There was a NO DOGS ALLOWED IN THE PARK sign which was very ironic to me. The side walk was called the Freedom Walk because the children walked around and through the park for their and our freedom. There were two words that I found that was important to know because it referred to the whole civil rights movement and they were RECONCILIATION and REVOLUTION.
Next we visited the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute where we were able to interact with the museum. We were able to touch the bars that Martin Luther King Jr. had touched when he was locked up. We were also able to read the Letter to Birmingham that was written by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to young white preachers. I really loved this museum because it was very hands on, and it explained the significance of the 16th Street Baptist Church better than the church did itself. We visited the 16th Street Baptist Church were the four girls were killed by a bomb put in the bottom of the church. I didn't really like visiting this church because there was no memorial for the girls. Where the girls were found is now a kitchen. I felt like I was walking over a grave. They want to keep it like a church, I think because the sister of one of the girls that was killed still attends the church. If they wanted to keep it as a church I don't understand why they have a gift shop because normal churches don't have gift shops only memorials. I feel like their should be a memorial in memory of the four girls, Addie Mae Collins age 14, Carole Roberston age 11, Denise McNair age 11, and Cynthia Wesley age 14. Overall the tour was amazing, but I wouldn't visit the

Day 3 Mississippi by Beau

The Delta Blues Museum is really a freight train station that was shut down and turned into a blues museum. Many famous blues artists irised from Mississippi. Examples of this are Muddy Waters, Nat King Cole, and many others. What I liked about the Delta Blues Museum was how great the exhibits were. They had guitars that the artists actually used. They also had paintings and pictures that were well described. Even though it was small, there was a lot to learn there.

Delta Blues Museum & "Ole Miss"

First we visited the Delta Blues Museum where we saw the famous guitar "Lucelle" which belonged to B.B. King. The Delta Blues Museum is an old freight train station because that's the way the blues singers traveled. They had to travel this way because they didn't have much money and it was cheap. I think the Delta Blues Museum which is a juke joint tied into the civil rights thing because it's where people could go and express themselves. Blues was a creative way to express themselves. Next we visited the University of Mississippi where SNCC had 20 student volunteers. They had to have $500 for bail or getting home if necessary and be willing to except the non-violence part of the movement. One of the marches was there and the reporter and a innocent by stander was murdered. The universty also known as "Ole Miss" is a beautiful college with a lot of important history. The only thing I disagreed with was that the campus had a Confederate flag to represent itself. I think that is very disrespectful seeing that black students now attend that college.

Birmingham Civil rights Institute and Kelly Ingram Park

Today we went to a museum the Birmingham Civil rights institute. I saw a lot about the past of Alabama. I saw how a group of people could change history. I saw how segregated the old Alabama was. It was horrible. I saw a replica of how black classrooms and white restrooms look different. I also got to go to Kelly Ingram Park. I saw statues of what people went through.I saw little kids get hit with water hoses that made me so mad yet it inspired me because kids my age had stood up for what's right. Even when adults were too scared to stand up. That is what i saw today.

the civil rights institute

Today I had the life-changing opportunity to experience walking through Kelly Ingram park where kids my age protested for freedom and their demands were met with vicious attack dogs and water hoses with the pressure of 800 pounds. Walking through these memorials I saw the statues of police dogs and children that were more than willing to go to jail and wear the jail time as a badge of honor for their cause. I was very honored to have the opportunity to feel all the emotions that ran through me when I realized how much pain and suffering that people my age had to endure for me and my rights. I could not help but think what the parents of these kids were thinking, knowing that your child would be making history but at the same time it could of possibly cost them their lives. This was such and emotional experience for me and it made me think about how blessed I am am that I don't have to make any life-changing experiences like these and the people before me paved the way for me.

Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

The Birmingham Civil Right Institute was a great sight to see. I love the way we had tours to gide us around, and explain to us what we were looking at. The guide aids quality instructions on the civil right museum and african-american life and history. I got to see how black workers struggled for equality in Birmingham. In addition the 16th street Baptist Church was the oldest church founded in 1873. Not only did the people have church service, they also held community meetings. The part that was rememberd the most, was when the 4 young ladys were killed in the bombing in 1963. The spot that they got killed, they turned into a kitchen. I guess so people wont have to think about what happend during that time.

June 16-17 :)

Yesterday was a pretty relaxed day for me. We went to the delta blues museum and we went to the University of Mississippi. It was a pretty campus. My favorite thing about the campus is the statue of James Meredith, the first black guy to attend the school Also I liked that they had the quotes up there from what he said when he first went to the school.

Today was the most amazing day for me. We went to Kelly Ingram Park, Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, and 16th Avenue Baptist Church. Looking at Kelly Ingram Park made me realize what people my age did when Civil Rights were a problem in their lives. Looking at the statues of all the dogs they had from then, and all the water hoses makes me feel like I was there watching it happen all over again. Birmingham Civil Rights Institute was my FAVORITE thing we have been to through the whole tour.! I liked it so much because it not only had the information we knew but it also took the extra step to say names that were not said in other places.

I was very interested in the 16th Avenue Baptist Church story was one of the saddest stories of the Civil Rights stories I have ever heard. so I was happy to see what the church did to remind themselves of the things that the church did with it. But, i wasn't to happy to hear him say that instead of keeping the place where they find the girls ( Addie Mae Collines, 14, Carole Roberston,14, Denise McNair,11, and Cynthia Wesley) they built over it and put their kitchen were it was supposed to be. I wasn't happy to know that because to me that is disrespectful to the families of the four girls. I'm sure the parents and friends would want to have it blocked off not built on top of. many people wanted to know why they would do that, the tour guide said that the people of the church don't want to only be known for what happen there long time ago, the church and the people in it want to move on in history.

childrens movement

today i saw alot of places where kids died and fought that were my age.I went to the 16th street baptist church,where the four girls were bombed in a church by the klu klux klan.I wasnt so excited to go into the church where people died.But it wasnt bad because where the girls died they turned it into a kitchen i thought it was disrespectful.Because they died there and now its just a kitchen like nothing happened.I mean they could of put up a glass around it and did something to it

yesterday
WE WENT TO THE DELTA BLUES MUSEUM. WHICH WAS MOSTLY ABOUT BLUES ARTISTS LIKE B.B KING, AND MUDDY WATERS AND WE LEARNED ABOUT HOW THE BLUES STARTED AND WHO THEY STARTED WITH.
AND WE ALSO WENT OLE MISS WHICH LOOKED VERY GOOD AND HAD ALOT OF DIFFERENT NICE LOOKING BUILDINGS AND THERE WAS ALOT OF PEOPLE OUT DOING DIFFERENT THINGS.
TODAY WE WENT TO KELLY INGRAM PARK THE PLACE WERE THE ALOT OF CHILDREN MARCHED AND SOME WERE ATTACKED BY SOME POLICE OFFICERS AND SOME DOGS.
WENT TO 16TH STREET BAPTIST CHURCH THE PLACE WERE 4 GIRLS DIED BECAUSE SOME DECIDED TO SET BOMBS TO BLOW UP THE CHURCH BECAUSE THERE WAS ALOT OF PLOTS GOING ON THERE AGAINST SEGREGATION.
AND WE WENT TO A MUSEUM CALLED THE CIVIL RIGHTS INSTITUTE AND IT TOLD ABOUT SEGREGATION AND THE BOMBING OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS INSTITUTE.

Blues Museum

Today was another good day. I learned alot again today. We started off by going to the blues museum. At first i thought it would be boring but i was wrong. I saw so many new things but what really caught my eye was the guitar.The guitar that i was really interested in was Lucille. Lucille is B.B. King's guitar.He named it because one day at a nuke joint a fight broke out And somebody knocked over the kerosine lantern.The juke joint caught on fire then B.B King ran out in till he remembered he left it in there he ran back and got it so he named it Lucille.

Day Four: A Morning of Study at the Birmingham Civil Rights Insitute

After an exhilarating, yet exhausting three days of travel (logging more than 1,100 miles on our bus in that short time), it was hard to say what I was looking forward to most this morning--a tour of Kelly Ingram Park, the 16th St. Baptist Church, and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, or not having to drive more than about 20 miles during the day.

Moments after seeing our tour group experience the memorial Freedom Walk in Kelly Ingram Park, however, the purpose of our tour won the day. We spent nearly an hour taking in the various monuments representing Martin Luther King, Jr.'s leadership during Project C and the violent reactions of Bull Connor's public safety force to the Children's Campaign in 1963.

What struck me most about the morning was the serious manner in which the Stratford-Richardson kids took in the park. It was obvious that they related directly to the narrative of the children's marches, especially knowing that the lion's share of the participants were their age and younger.

The group spent the balance of the morning at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. In just a few short years, the BCRI has emerged as a first-class organization for the preservation of civil rights history and the education of school children, tourists, and scholars. The interactive museum is engaging throughout, and I looked forward to taking it in for a second time. Our experience was unexpectedly enhanced when the group tours director, LaQuita Singleton arranged a pair of docents to lead us through the gallery. What made this time even more special was the fact that both docents were young high school students. The BCRI has developed a 12-week training program for students not only to engage in the study of the Civil Rights Movement, but also to share that knowledge with patrons of the museum. I was highly impressed with their understanding of the nuances of Birmingham's civil rights history and their confident interaction with our own teens.

From the example of the work of the BCRI in Birmingham and Stratford-Richardson's teen program in Charlotte, I feel safe in saying that the future is in good hands.

Day Three: A Sort of Homecoming - Mississippi

One of the most stirring images of the Civil Rights Movement, for me, has always been the Missing Persons bulletin of James Chaney, Mickey Schwerner, and Andrew Goodman. I don't know exactly why, but I've always been drawn to the story of their heroism in the face of danger and untimely death in the early days of the Mississippi Freedom Summer, 1964. I guess I've always admired the optimism and fierce integration of SNCC's early years and wondered if put in their position I would have had the nerve to face people who wished to see me dead (and face them with a spirit of brotherly love). I only learned about these three men and their volunteer, activist peers in my last undergraduate course at Wake Forest (Tony Parent and Alton Pollard's "Civil Rights and Black Consciousness Movements"). It was at that time that I was accepted into the University of Mississippi's graduate program in history. Until then, I had never imagined I'd live in Mississippi--had never thought much about the state at all. Now it would be home--if only for a couple of years. I came to embrace the state and its people, and still warmly consider it close to my heart..

Today, travelling back into Mississippi for the first time in 10 years, my nerves remained on edge. It was almost like meeting an old friend after years apart--will Mississippi recognize me? has Mississippi changed to the point that I'll recognize it? do we still have anything in common? The few hours our group spent in Clarksdale and Oxford quickly put me at ease.

Clarksdale's "Delta Blues Museum" provided the easily recognizible face of the Mississippi I had come to know and love in those two short years. It represents a place steeped in culture...a place that developed and influenced a nation in spite of the long odds stacked against it (poverty & racism to name the most glaring). Museum curator Maie Smith guided our students through the exhibits providing a great context for the blues as a means of expression for African Americans who felt that their lives only possessed a grim future. The combination of guitar and soul, however, delivered gifts beyond the dreams of the artists.

The campus of the University of Mississippi in Oxford offered the side of Mississippi that was almost unrecognizable to me. The campus and sleepy college town has transformed over the last 10 years. Development and activity seems to be at a feverish pace. But it was another new addition on campus in recent years that touched me--and I can only hope made a statement to my students. Since 2003, the university has had a prominent statue of James Meredith (who famously, after a variety of stalling tactics by then Governor Ross Barnett and violent reactions from area whites, integrated the campus in 1962). During my years on campus, few spoke of Meredith--even while debates over the playing of "Dixie" by the university band and the use of the Confederate battle flag at football games still raged. Today, I was impressed by my university's willingness to face even the darker side of its history--all while so boldly moving toward the future. Thank you, University of Mississippi, from one proud alum. I can only hope it will not be another 10 years before I grace your presence.

From home-Fray's mother

I am really excited about the blogs that have been entered so far. The kids seem to be learning so much and having a really good time in the process. I am honored to have the opportunity follow them on their journey.

Day 2 Photos - Memphis, TN

Photo 1 - Ne Ne showing us just how hungry she is in front of Corky's! Our restaurant for dinner. Photo 2 - Teens entering Stax Records. Home of the great Otis Redding and many more! Photo 3 - Teens in front of the balcony where MLK was assassinated. Photo 4 - Teens talking to Jackie, the lone protestor of the National Civil Rights Museum (originally the Lorraine Motel). Jackie has been there for over 20 years boycotting the museum. Photo 5 - Teens in front of the Lorraine Motel where MLK was assassinated.

day one of frado's journey

I woke up at 5:50,got dressed and double checked my bags to make sure I had everything.I think I called everyone in my phone because this is my first trip where I would be gone for longer than 3 or four days.When everyone met up I was very elated because I knew that there was a quest in front of me that I could only do two things with: 1) learn my history and culture and see history from another light or 2) feel dumb for not.At the rest stop we talked about how blacks couldn't sit in a restaurants, and that if they went inside they usually took their food to go or were sat in the far back behind a curtain. My thoughts were "why would any person treat another like that? how could someone not feed you because your skin is another color?I wanted to be there asking these questions and see what answers I would get.I am a black male and understand people might not like things or people because they don't know,but if they took the time to get to know people or learn about different customs do you believe that the issues were learning about now would be irrelevant?

Day 1 Photos - Nashville, TN

Picture 1 - Teens on the steps on Clark Memorial Methodist Church, Picture 2 - Teens on the steps on Jubilee Hall on the campus of Fisk University, Picture 3 - Our Tour Guide, Professor Michael Thompson explaining the importance of Fisk University to the Civil Rights Movement, Picture 4 - Teens at a rest stop on our way to Nashville, TN

2nd day.!

Today was an amazing day in Memphis. We got to go to the place where Martin Luther King got shot. It was very sad at first to know that's where a very great man in history had to die there when he was just getting into Civil Rights. There in the museum you could see the exact place where he got shot and where the shooter stood. I think this was a very good idea to remember him by. If they didn't have kept that up [the museum] teenagers like me wouldn't have been able to see what we saw. Also, we went to Stax music museum. I was very excited to go to this place. I never knew so many singers became famous in this place. Some signers sang for the first time in that place. I was also happy to go because I never understood why it was important... after going on in the museum I learned that Stax was not only a music place, it was a place for whites and black come together to put aside their skin color and to really do what they loved most.!

Day 2- Memphis by Beau

Seeing the Lorraine Motel today was a real eye-opener. Seeing the spot where Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot and killed was something I never thought I would see. There was also a bus from the 1960's and Rosa Parks was riding in the front and the bus driver was having a lot of hostility and open anger towards her. The next thing that was a real eye-opener for me was seeing clay models of protesters wearing "I am a man." What was an eye-opener about that was black people had to protest in their own country, on there own land, and in front of their own people.

We also visited the Stax museum which was about a black recording company which turned into a muli-million dollar profit company. Not only was it a way for blacks to make an income, it was a way for them to express how they felt about segregation and what was happening to them. There was also a group called " Booker T. and the MG'S." The surprising thing about this was that Booker T. was black, and two of the MG's were white. Another group I thought was surprising were "Sam and Dave," because these were two black men singing and dancing and almost doing stand-up comedy.

Day 1 - Nashville by Beau

Nashville, Tennessee was a great experience for me going to Fisk University.

The most important thing I got out of it was the fact that it was the few places black Americans had to go to college. W.E.B DuBois was a great man who had one saying that I will never forget. He said African-Americans possessed a double consciousness; that we are american, and we are also black.This was important to me because of the fact that [during DuBois's life] many had to wake up in the morning and know and remind yourself that you are black and you do have limitations to what you can do and say.

Lorraine Motel - National Civil Rights Museum

Today i saw a lot of things i thought that i would never see. The things i saw had me feeling mixed emotions. The first thing i saw was a clip of what people would do to stand for our rights;but what really amazed me is they stood up for their rights without being violent.This amazed me because i know that i could not do that. I mean they were hit with water hoses and were attacked by police dogs.
I also saw the balcony where Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. What really touched me was the balcony had been stained with his blood. I can just imagine what his kids went through when they found out their dad was gone.That is what i saw today.

Day Two: Walking in Memphis

I must admit that today was the sole reason our group made the lengthy two-day journey across Tennessee. My wife, Molly, and I lived in Oxford, Mississippi for two years in the early 1990s and made frequent trips to Memphis. It never disappointed then and certainly did not today.

We arrived at mid-day and toured the National Civil Rights Museum located downtown at the site of the Lorraine Motel (the very place where Martin Luther King, Jr. was tragically assassinated on April 4, 1968). The museum takes a broad view of civil rights history and walks the patron from the Jamestown colony in 1619 to King's death (with revolving exhibits that examine world-wide efforts to secure civil rights). Across the plaza, a museum dedicated to the assassination now exists. It was chilling to walk in the flop house room and shared bath where James Earl Ray carried out his plot to kill Dr. King.

The late afternoon hours were spent at the Stax Records Museum...an unexpected treat. The museum has been in operation for six years and carries itself as one of the high class destinations for soul music experts and history buffs alike. Students and chaperones found themselves almost uncontrollably tapping toes, clapping hands, singing along, and even occasionally shaking a booty or two. All while not missing the significance of music and Stax to the era of the Civil Rights Movement and positive race relations in general.

Looking back, I would not have changed the trip and miss the opportunity to see Memphis. It was well worth the trouble. I hope to find that the students agree.

Day One: Behind the Veil to the Sit-ins - Nashville's Civil Rights Movement

One may wonder why begin a Civil Rights tour in a city more well known for the Grand Ole Opry than social activism, but a quick look at the history of Nashville reveals a compelling story. Nashville is home to Fisk University, one of the oldest HBCs in the nation, dating back to 1866. Fisk counts W.E.B. DuBois and John Hope Franklin among its many significant alums. Nashville also hosted four neighboring black colleges in the 1950s and 1960s, which made it a perfect location for the stirrings of activism in the wake of the Brown decisions and the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Rev. James Lawson brought the practice of non-violent, direct action home to college students who feverishly looked for ways to apply their year-long training. Movement stalwarts like Diane Nash, James Bevel, Bernard Lafayette, and John Lewis were veterans of Lawson's tutelage.

In some ways, however, the rationale behind starting the tour in Nashville had as much to do with its location as it had to do with its history. In my expertise, group dynamics in experiences like this (no matter how well the students know one another) take time to develop. Nothing helps the process of group dynamics along than a 450 mile bus ride. You get to know your neighbor--to get an up close understanding of why he or she is on the trip. You get the opportunity to evaluate why you're there, too.

Our small group made an effort throughout the day to consider the past and to see how far we've come. We stopped at a public rest area in North Carolina--no one thought twice that 50 years ago, the simple act of finding an accessible bathroom would have posed a problem depending on the color of your skin. We considered the spirit of the movement through music--singing along with Billie Holliday, Nina Simone, Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, and even will.i.am. We struggled with the reality at the center of the philosophy of non-violence and whether we have (or would have had that discipline).

As a teacher and life-long learner, it is wonderful to see the group dynamic come together around something positive--the quest for greater understanding. I accepted no apologies for extra questions or comments about our subjects today. All in all, it was a great start. On to Memphis and the Lorraine Motel tomorrow.

first day.!

Today was our first day off in Tennessee. It was a fun filled day, and we mostly talked about sit ins. we went to Fisk college to look at the campus and see the statue of W.E.B DuBois. We also went to Clark Memorial Methodist Church. We took plenty of pictures and saw many things. One of my favorite things of the day it when we talked about the sit-ins. Knowing that people had a year of training before having a sit in sounds hard!

The Difficulty of practicing non-violence

today we talked about sit-ins and non-violence. the black students who were sitting in the all white restaurants were taught non-violence no matter what. It would be very hard for me not to say or do anything back with all of the things they did and said to them.i wouldnt be able to sit and just take the disrespect of someone who is equaly human as me and make me fell isolated from the earth i just wouldnt be able to sit still and take it.

Engage Your Past - Vision Your Future

A little more than a year ago, I sat down with Jessica Williams, Byron Henson, and Michael DeVaul--branch-level and association leaders of the YMCA of Greater Charlotte. At the meeting, I pitched to them the idea of developing a program for their already vibrant Teen Program to study the Civil Rights Movement in an effort to engage young people in the study of their past. Too often, the students who I teach on the college level come to my classes with an idea that History is too remote and inaccessible to matter to the lives that they lead. Convincing them otherwise is, at times, my greatest battle. I firmly believe that providing students opportunities to engage their past outside the classroom can make the learning experience both valuable and meaningful. Fortunately for me, the YMCA leadership in Charlotte warmly received my idea. What follows is the letter of invitation that was sent to parents inviting their children to participate in our program. I hope it will put into context what our tour from June 14-20 is trying to accomplish.

Dear Parents,

Throughout their lives, Willie Stratford and Jim Richardson worked to build opportunities for investments in social capital for all who live in the greater Charlotte area. As you well know, one of the tangible symbols of their tireless efforts is the presence of a YMCA on West Boulevard.

It is in the spirit of the vision of Mr. Stratford and Mr. Richardson that your child has been invited to participate in a pilot program sponsored by the YMCA called "Creating a Usable Past: A Study of the Civil Rights Movement." This opportunity will provide a forum for your child to engage in an in depth study of arguably the most important historical transformation of the United States in the twentieth century. Moreover, the program will allow participants to experience the history through a seven-day tour of the Movement.

Last march, I had the opportunity to join a similar experience led by civil rights activist and current NAACP chairman, Julian Bond. Since my college days, I had been engaged in the study of and teaching of the Civil Rights Movement, but never was it more real than the days that i spent walking in the footsteps of those who sacrificed, suffered, yet won the hard-fought victories of the Movement.

I feel that this generation of young people who are at the cusp of adulthood face an interesting crossroads where the issue of race and race relations reveals itself in our country. With the election of President Barack Obama last November, we are witnessing tangible realizations of Dr. King's dream that people "will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." President Obama's and other politicians' "breakthroughs" hopefully will show that high aspirations can be accesible realities. Yet, as we recognize the 50-year anniversaries of so many civil rights milestones, I fear that the realities fo the history and the lessons it can teach us become more remote for today's students. Surely, they will continue to learn the significance of Dr. King and the likes of Rosa Parks, but will they understand the heroism of the lesser-known giants of the Movement like Jo Ann Robinson, Ernest Green, John Lewis, Fannie Lou Hamer, Dorothy Counts-Scoggins, or Julius Chambers. Moreover, will they strive to make connections with how those past struggles can remain significant in their lives as they mature?

Over the past several months, Jessica Williams, Director of the Teen Programs at Stratford-Richardson, adn I have been developing a curriculum aimed to provide an historical context and forum for young people to discuss the twin issues of race and civil rights. We are using the best of what the Teen Program has to offer by incorporating the model established by the Teen Scoop Crew--using photojournalism and written reflectionto engage kids in their communities--and readings in history along with documentaries, films, and group discussion to encourage the students to consider their past, present and future. The highlight of the program--the bus tour--will take students to museums and historic sites in Nashville and Mmephis, Tennessee; Clarksdale and Oxford, Mississippi; Birmingham, Selma, and Montgomery, Alabama; and Atlanta, Georgia.

I hope you agree that this will be a memorable and valuable experience for your child.

Sincerely,

Michael