Voices from the Civil Rights Trip

It meant a lot to me to be able to hear about what Birmingham was like in the 1960s. It is one thing to read about history in a book, but it is another to hear about it directly from its source, from someone who was actually there and able to recount what it was like. I, along with all of my other classmates and teachers, got swept away in your stories, listening to you for over an hour in silence, occasionally asking a question, but otherwise letting you tell us about your life as a child.

I know that you normally like to speak with high schoolers, but I think spending that afternoon with us was really worth it.

I would like to thank Ms. Brooks for sharing her knowledge about Montgomery in general, because it is my topic in class. Also, I was glad you picked me to read my summary, as it was good practice for reading in front of crowds.

In my class, we are all making documentaries about one of the crucial cities in the civil rights movement, and my city is Montgomery. Needless to say, I learned a lot of new facts that I can put into my documentary from the tour and presentation.

I have an older sister who is now a senior in high school and I have been on a lot of college trips with her and my family, and they have all been the same. So when I heard that we were going to have a tour of a college I thought it was going to be like that. I was blown away by the history of the school. Dante was the first tour guide I have seen who acted like he wasn’t reading off a script, he made the experience come to life.

Morehouse College obviously helped African-American males but your college also helped everyone else, because it awoke the world to the power of majority. Your college had the courage to explore what it would be like if one of the most oppressed minorities was able to stand up and be the majority.

I thank all of you for helping me to understand the real value of courage while allowing me to learn about a prestigious college that I should have known about long ago.

One story you shared with us really stuck with me. I was astonished to hear about the treatment, or lack thereof, that your grandmother received when you and your family brought her to the hospital. I have lost two grandparents even though they had proper medical care. I understand what it is like to lose a loved one but I can’t imagine what it must have been like to be in a helpless situation where you are unable to do anything because no one will even give you a diagnosis of what is happening.

It never occurred to me how hard it must have been raising a child in the civil rights movement. I always thought that as soon as a kid could walk, they marched, but it was much more complicated than that.

Remember me? I am the boy with the incredibly curly hair. You were one of the highlights of my stay in Alabama.

I especially liked your no nonsense way of going about things. You made me think, “Okay, she’s got something to say, so I had better shut up and listen, and I did.

I wanted to share with you that when I got home, at dinner I was telling my family about the trip, and when I got to Selma my sister (the one I told you about) got all excited and she said “Did you meet Joanne Bland?” and I said yes, then she says “She was a cool person, I really liked her.” I thought it was really special that she remembered you because it has been five years since she has been on that trip and now she is a senior in high school and her life is really hectic with all the college applications and schoolwork.

Thank you for showing to me that even though I might feel sad about the movement I should always have a positive attitude and never give up.

It is definitely easier to say you’re going to make a difference than it is to actually do it, but your words really inspired me to make more of an effort to stand up for people who are being mistreated.

When you said “Those of us that have, have a privilege to give,” it made me want to get more involved in helping others.

Text from letters written by the eighth grade this week.
A letter from a previous year can be found on the Web site of the Southern Poverty Law Center.