Day two was very interesting, I could not believe that we as a group were standing directly on the same grounds of the kids that were sprayed down and beating and whip by blackjacks by officers. It was so touching because it had statues up that gave clues of what happen that day. It just felt like I was there watching the whole thing. Than directly across the streets on 16^th street was the church where the four little girls were killed in Sunday school, the church was bomb by four men who attach more than 100 sticks of dynamite to the church windows in the basement.

Today we spent the day visiting some historic civil rights places in Birmingham. Going into the day, I didn’t really have any great expectations. I thought that it would be a lot of stuff that would be interesting to see and learn about, but I didn’t really expect to be emotionally impacted by what I saw and learned.

We went to the part of Birmingham where the dividing line for the white and black parts of town was located. In this part of downtown, there are many churches and there is a park in the middle. 16^th Street Baptist Church is on one side of the park and various white churches are on the other side. The park in the middle was the place where many civil rights rallies, sit-ins and battles were fought. One of the most important of these events was the Children’s March that I talked a bit about yesterday. Standing in the park today, I was overwhelmed with feelings of guilt. All I could see are these poor, unassuming African American children who just wanted the same rights and privileges as their white counterparts. As a result, police blasted them with fire hoses and let dogs loose to attack them. Over and over I saw images of these children in my head, rolling down the street as a result of the force of the water and running in fear from the dogs that chased after them. It makes me embarrassed to be white and to be from the south.

After lunch, we got to talk with Judge Shores Lee and her sister, both of whom grew up on dynamite hill in Birmingham during the height of the civil rights movement. It was so fascinating to hear them talk about it all, especially because they experienced it all first hand. Judge Shores told us a story about how, when she was young, a park opened up near her house called Kiddie Land. She often drove past with her family, and once expressed to her father that she “just wished she could be white so I could do the same things as the other kids.” Her father responded to her, “you don’t wish you were white, you just wish you could go.” This was so powerful to me. At this point, and later that night in discussion groups, I had to stop and think about what why this affected me so much. It jarred me to think about not bring able to do something based on the color of my skin. It also upset me to think that a child would wish they were a different race than they are, in order to receive the same rights as any other person.

It reminded me of a time this fall in Dr. Hattery’s class when she asked us to think about being privileged. We had a discussion about having to think about our race, gender and sexual orientation. As it did during our class, it left me unsure of how to process the information given. We talked about how those in a situation of privilege don’t have to think about that fact. In fact, they don’t even really have to think about that component of their lives. Men don’t wake up in the morning and think about having to deal with being a man that day. Whites don’t have to wake up in the morning and think about having to deal with being white that day. On the flip side, women have to get up and think about the discrimination and other things they’re going to have to deal with due to their gender that day. African Americans have to get up and think about the injustice that will perpetrated against them because of their skin color. While, as a woman, I’ve gotten a small taste of what this would be like, I haven’t really experienced severe oppression because of it. I mean, I have to worry about things like having to work harder to prove myself and not wanting to walk places at night alone, however I don’t have to worry about being profiled every time I walk into a store. Listening to the emotions others in the class have expressed about the reality of their situations has saddened me and really kind of angered me about the kind of world in which we live. There is no reason for the stories that the boys tell to be the norm. Unfortunately, they are.

The knowledge of the liberties I have has reminded me of how lucky I am. But this hardly seems fair. I have done nothing to deserve that privilege. It was given to me by the luck of the draw, which makes our current world situation all the more ridiculous. We have no control over the color of skin our parents have, and thus, the color of skin we have. Yet we make all sorts of judgments and assumptions about someone on the basis of this attribute. Regardless, I know that I am fortunate in many ways. I could just sit back and be content and fulfilled by that fact…but if you know me even a little bit, you know that I won’t. These past two days have, if nothing else, reminded me of the importance of one of my favorite sayings: “with great privilege comes great responsibility.” I don’t know exactly what this will mean for my life yet. Somewhere I have a sneaking suspicion that this entire experience is going to lead to a desire to act and a calling for a lifetime of work to change.

Today we traveled to downtown Birmingham. As I got off the bus, I went directly to the group of people at Kelly Ingram Park where there was some sort of rally being held. As I sat down to listen to the program, I engaged in conversation with an older man who had a lot to say about the government and the state of young blacks in Birmingham and around the country. One of the most interesting points the man made when we spoke was about how many of the whites who previously lived in Birmingham had moved into a neighboring county. He went on to talk about how a majority of those white people who moved to the neighboring county would commute to work in Birmingham in county official and public office positions. Aside from the obvious problems with this, there are inherent obstacles that arise from misplaced representation controlling what goes on in a particular region.

I feel like a lot of the problems with the flawed conditions of the Deep South lie in the fact that although things may seem better on the surface, the true problems of inequalities have been ignored and disregarded because now, whites have the option of moving away, no longer forced to coexist with blacks in the South. The rally appeared to have low attendance in general and of those people present, there may have been two or three whites total. I think that the obvious issues of white flight, in Birmingham especially, may only help to facilitate racist beliefs while allowing people to escape actual confrontation. There is no longer the same sense of struggle or urgency for change because the battle has developed into a much more subliminal one.

Looking back on the discussion we had with the Shores sisters and Peggy Heidi, I really appreciate their point of view and perspectives on the Deep South. I was impressed with the Honorable Judge’s comments. It seems that she has had a fiery spirit for most of her life. These sisters lived through attempted kidnappings, attempted murders, and general acts of terrorism all because of their father’s position in the community and his legislation to end segregation. The circumstances in Birmingham gave these sisters and their entire family so many reasons to carry hate in their hearts. Even though certain instances in their lives may have caused them to act out in anger, the sisters seemed to channel most of that negative energy into motivation to make their lives better and learn how to combat oppression. I think that speaking with them was very valuable in gaining a better understanding of the way things were during the movement.

Prior to heading out for the day, we read an essay by Angela Davis entitled “Rape, Racism and the Myth of the Black Rapist.”  I had read the essay this past semester in Dr. Hattery’s Social Inequality class.  I tried to read it more critically this time, as opposed to reading it to interpret to answer a question on a test.  That isn’t to say I didn’t read it with interest or appreciation for Angela Davis’ work before (I promise Dr. Hattery!!), but today I knew that I would be seeing Angela Davis’ house and meeting people who grew up with her, or at least knew her.  Although Helen Shores Lee and her sister Barbara Lee did not talk about Angela Davis or vocalize any ideas about the period of time in which she wrote about, it still gave a different perspective to her writing.

I’ll get back to more about the Shores sisters and Ms. Peggy Heidi, all of whom talked to us about their experiences, but I’m actually writing now on Sunday morning and I have a few things I need to say.  Last night after reflection I had a bit of a breakdown (nothing really horrible), which is why I’m writing now as opposed to last night.  We take time every night to have reflections of the day as a group and discuss the things we saw and have the opportunity to ask our group members questions.  Well during this time, I made a comment about how David and I walked into the restaurant with our arms around each other, joking around saying how we were going to cause some controversy.  So I asked how people felt about making a joke out of it.  Another student stated that especially in area like this it’s hard to make light of prejudice that could have been induced by our actions, because of the history in the area and the fact that people were killed over it.  In the past I’ve been exposed to prejudice based on who I chose to date and I guess the comment that my peer made just put a very different perspective on that.  I never had to worry that a guy I dated could be killed, simply because he was dating me.  I took the fact that others were unjustly and brutally killed for my ability to date who I want completely for granted.  Anyway the result of the realization was me holding back tears throughout part of the reflection period and bursting into tears after nearly everyone left.  I’m sure I’m not the only one this will happen to, which is why I decided I would share.  Someone had to be first right? J Anyway two of my classmates were with me as well as the leader of the reflection time, Marcus, and we had a really good discussion about a lot of things following my little freak out session.  We’re going to see some very disturbing things and feel some emotions that are going to hurt, but I feel like its all part of a growing process.  You need to make a bit of a mess to clean things up or in this case to grow.

So back to a more relevant topic…yesterday we went to Kelly Ingram Park, the park where the Children’s March took place.  There were statues around the park depicting the violence the children faced by the police during the march. I’m sure someone’s posted pictures of them.  I’m still working through how the park made me feel.  Following that Helen Shores Lee, Barbara Shores and Peggy Heidi spoke with us about their experiences growing up in Birmingham on what is referred to as Dynamite Hill.  They lived on the Center Street hill, which was divided racially by a bridge.  It was really interesting to get a first hand perspective of some events that took place prior to and in the midst of the Civil Rights movement.  The Shores sisters’ father was a prominent figure during the movement, so their family faced a lot of violence.  As much as I enjoyed listening to the stories and learning more about the history from their perspective, the part of the day that affected me the most was going to the elementary school (the first integrated elementary school actually) that Ms. Heidi attended and seeing the place where the Ku Klux Klan burned crosses as an act of resistance and hatred against those attempting to integrate the school.  I recently watched a show on the History Channel called something like The Secret Rituals of the KKK.  I had that in the back of my mind as we were standing on the ground where that occurred.  I really didn’t have pleasant pictures in my mind.

We will be attending a service at the 16^th Street Baptist Church today.  The same church where 4 girls were killed in a bombing and where the children congregated for the Children’s March to fill the jails of Birmingham.  With that said, I need to go get ready.

Saturday was quite a day, from downtown Birmingham to the quiet neighborhoods surrounding Center Street, to the earthy Dreamland BBQ. One of the good things about a group blog like this is you pretty much know that others will cover the main things so you don’t need to. I was tempted to write about Ms. Heidi, Judge Helen Shores Lee and Barbara Shores, three strong, patrician women, black and white, who lived through the bombings of Birmingham and share their experience with grace and wisdom. But Susan has already done that and others are likely to as well.

So I will tell a little vignette about my experience in Kelly Ingram Park.

I wandered over to the Park once we learned that the 16th Street Baptist Church was unexpectedly locked for the day. Dr. Hattery had told us that the sculptures in the park were dramatic and moving and she was right. I took some pictures and was standing in front of the statue of my hero, the good Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. when an African American man rode up on his bicycle. He stopped suddenly, backed up, and seemed to be assessing me as his target: white, middle-aged woman, taking pictures in the park alone with shopping bag on arm. He asked if I were enjoying the park, if I had seen all the sculptures, and if I knew the history of the place. Trying out my best Southern manners (resisting all my northern impulses to turn heel and walk away) I said yes, I was enjoying it very much. Reassured he had sized me up correctly, he launched into his schpiel, talking about Kelly Ingram, for whom the park was named, the four quadrants of the fountain symbolizing the four little girls killed in the church across the street with water flowing down like tears, and the meaning of each statue. “Did you read what was at the base of the Children’s March sculpture?” “I ain’t afraid of your jail,” I dutifully replied.

“Did you see the man with Bull Connor? That is Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, who was so committed to non-violence that he stepped back from the fire hoses and dogs and refused to show anger. ”

Then he went on, “they strung that good man upside down, beat him bloody, beat him to death, but before he died he wrote in his own blood on the wall, ’segregation is sin’ and then the angels carried him away.” Here I started to have my doubts and wondered if he was going to ask me for money, but he launched onto another story about the kneeling ministers and the fire hoses and to tell the truth he had all the cadences and rhythms of Dr. King at his best so I listened to the rest of his stories.

Finally, he said “now I don’t do this for everyone but I sensed you was a good woman and would be pleased to make a contribution to my livelihood.” Oh boy, I thought to myself, if I give this guy money I will be setting a bad example to the students on the trip who have probably been taught not to give money to panhandlers who will only use it for drink or drugs or worse. But then I thought the cost of the official Kelly Ingram Park audio tour was $4 and admission to the Civil Rights Institute was $10 and he was more entertaining, by far, than either of them, so I did what my heart said and happily gave him three loose dollar bills in my purse and considered it a fair exchange of trade.

If yesterday’s experience with Mrs. Heidi, Judge Shores-Lee and Ms. Shores was just a glimpse of what we’re going to be in for during the remainder of this trip, I’m going to be completely blown away by the end of this experience. Everyone on this trip has heard about the conditions in the south and what people had to go through in terms of the blatant racism, but hearing the first hand testimonies of these women about how it actually happened, I was totally taken aback and engaged on a completely different level from what I had been earlier on this trip.

Again, we had some absolutely amazing food at Mrs. B’s for lunch and at Dreamland BBQ for dinner, despite the messy nature of the food. I’m going to have to agree with Susan Smith about the banana pudding…I kinda wanted to steal it and take it all for myself!

During our time in Kelly Ingram Park, there was an anti-violence/save our streets type of rally going on with information from difference civic groups. While I’m very excited that the people of Birmingham are engaging in this type of activity, I feel that I was distracted by the speakers when I was attempting to fully engage in the historic aura of the park.

Last night after our reflections, I was sitting outside speaking with two women from Kent, England and we were discussing what had brought all of us to Birmingham and I was sharing some pictures from our day in Kelly Ingram Park and a little bit of background about why we were here for this class. They were very kind and interested in the trip as well as to know what I had to tell them about the history of this area.

I’m very excited to be going to the 16th Street Baptist Church this morning for their religious service as well as to get a feel for the church as the four young women did the day that they were martyred.

Today, we got up extremely early for a technology session that was very

The first assignment by “The Distinguished Sergeant Hattery,” was for the class to visit the 16^th St. Baptist Church, The Civil Rights Museum, and Kelly Ingram Park by 12pm. The bad news is I only had time to explore the park thoroughly. However, the good news is that the park was booming with excitement. In fact, today several organizations, government officials, and citizens came together for a “Stop the Violence Peace Rally.” I believe that this rally was very important because of its primary purpose; as well as its indirect purpose to bring together individuals of various ages to interact in a historical setting to gain valuable knowledge. (BTW1: I met this girl in the park named Stephanie Keahey.) (BTW2: I stepped across the street to the Civil Rights Museum for a few minutes and met a Tulane student, Alessandra)

I was really moved to know that the grounds on which I stood paved the way for me to attend Wake Forest University; to have the opportunity achieve the “American Dream”; and to have hope that my children would also enjoy the same privilege. It was in this very park that countless children sacrificed themselves; as they fled out of the 16^th St. Baptist Church into the park to be met with ragging dogs and highly pressurized water; and hauled off to local jails and fairground animal cages. The tangible sites were moving beyond what any collaboration of words could attempt to describe. I can truly say I was truly changed. I have always harbored a deep desire to serve the community because of the obstacles that I have overcome; but today taught me that the obligation to give back to the community and to raise awareness about ongoing issues in society run deeper than any pain that I have ever personally experienced in life.

Up to this point, the food has been phenomenal. And, today’s lunch was no exception. We stopped in at “Mrs. B’s.” The soul food that this restaurant served up was “finger lickin’ good.”

After lunch, we had the distinct privilege of meeting with Peggy Heidi, Barbara Shores, and the Honorable Judge Helen Shores Lee in the Civil Rights Museum. They told us stories of their childhood living on Center Street Hill (Dynamite Hill); which was divided into two sections for Caucasians (West Side) and African Americans (East Side). The Shores’ father was the attorney for the NAACP; which afforded them the opportunity to have many historical figures into their home such as Supreme Court Justice Marshall. (BTW3: Judge Shores Lee rode Justice Marshall’s back as a kid)

It was both funny and disturbing to hear the stories about how Judge Shores Lee, at a very early age, fought against segregation. She told us how she once moved the whites only board so that her and her mom could have a seat. Also, how she drunk from a whites only fountain. Despite the fact that these stories were funny the disturbing part was that these ladies and the kids in Kelly Ingram Park sacrificed their lives to fight against segregation, yet, today young people aren’t willing to engage in safe demonstrations against injustices that still persist.

I was captivated by the comments that were made by the ladies in regard to the work that is left to be done, and how they believe that society currently lacks “real leaders” that are committed to change. Nevertheless, the comment that I loved the most was concerning the church. Judge Shores Lee said the church can make an impact; but what she see’s is a church that is more concerned with making profits; as opposed to making a difference. This was very important to me because I firmly believe that Americans need to stand back and critically examine the role that we think the church should fulfill, and what is actually being done. 

We ended the day by meeting Cameron Cole for dinner at DreamLand BBQ.

To be continued ………………… 

Today was a really interesting and moving day, centered on the era of the civil rights movement in Birmingham, Alabama. The first part of the day involved a free hour where we were supposed to explore Kelly Ingram Park and the 16^th Street Baptist Church. I was very disappointed to hear that the church was closed for some reason, but the extra time spent in the park was really valuable. Kelly Ingram Park is where the children who were marching for civil rights during May 1963 were combated with fire hoses and vicious dogs. The park consisted of a “freedom walk” which circled around the park and featured various statues and sculptures commemorating the events. I felt it was really important to take the time and look at the statues to realize what had really happened on the very ground we were standing. It was hard to imagine the turmoil that went on over 40 years ago as we stood in this peaceful park; yet the statues cast a darker perspective on everything. There were two sculptures that left a huge impression on me. The first depicted the dogs used by police to halt the protesters, and the dogs were so realistic and terrifying that it literally sent chills down my spine to think about one of them coming after me. The next statue or sculpture of sorts that was really interesting to me had a bunch of children, and on the other side of the walkway were bars from a jail cell. Above the bars, the words “segregation is a sin” were imprinted, but the really curious thing about these words is that they were upside down. I don’t know what the significance of them being upside down was, but it really made you stop and think about the whole situation. My personal interpretation for this was that these protesting kids turned the civil rights movement upside down in sorts. It is easy to see the parallel because children, who normally have no say, were in this case the ones with the power who were causing problems for police, crowding the jails, and forcing action.

After taking in the park, we ate lunch at a soul food restaurant a couple blocks down the street, and then moved on to what I thought was the highlight of the day. We met in the Civil Rights Museum to listen to Helen Shores Lee, Barbara Shores, and Peggy Heidi tell us about what it was like growing up in Birmingham during that era. They told a lot of stories and really gave great insight into what it was like growing up that time as either a white or black child. The Shores sisters spoke about their house being bombed twice within a week and a half. Thank goodness nobody was hurt. These stories really put you into a different mindset about the whole civil rights movement because it is one thing to watch a documentary and read about what happened, but it is completely different when real live people are sitting in front of you telling their story. This was definitely the highlight of the day for me, as everything those ladies had to say and share with us was meaningful. I am on this trip to learn about these types of issues, and this was the first time that I really felt like had an understanding of the situation rather than just an appreciation of what happened. There was much more to the afternoon we spent with these ladies, as Ms. Heidi took us on a bus tour of Dynamite Hill, and we were able to stop in and visit the house where her grandmother used to live. We also saw the house that Angela Davis grew up in across the street, and stopped by the first elementary school to be integrated in Birmingham, where crosses were burned on a regular basis.

After the tour, we went back to the hotel for a couple of hours, and then our night time activities included eating dinner at a famous barbecue place with a Wake Forest alum from Birmingham, and a nice group reflection on the day. I really felt like our reflection time was a great way to end the day because it allowed the students to meet with Marcus and discuss what we felt was important about the day. Our group dynamic really seems to come out during these reflections, and it’s great to be able to talk about the different ways things affected different people, and to bring in multiple perspectives. Tomorrow we will finally get to go inside the 16^th Street Baptist Church when we attend service there, and I am really looking forward to that. It should be a really interesting cultural and religious experience. I’m expecting it to be completely different from the Catholic masses I’m used to attending, and I can’t wait to see if this is true.

 Today was a memorable day. The day started with a technology discussion to get everyone comfortable with the course web site. It was a very efficient talk and it prepared me to begin the day. Our agenda was to explore the 16th Street Baptist Church, Kelly Ingram Park and the  National Civil Rights Institute.  Unfortunately, the 16th Street Baptist Church was closed for Memorial Day. We were unable to go in the church today but tomorrow morning we will attend the service. However, being at Kelly Ingram Park was  a great time to personally reflect on the Children’s March and all that people in the past did so I would be able to come there in 2007 with a group of students from Wake Forest University. Interestingly enough, there was a peace rally going on at Kelly Ingram Park by the SCLC, and in a way it was a full circle moment. The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute was a great experience as well. I was able to tour some of the museum but time constraints permitted and others from the group to finish exploring the museum. My favorite part of the musuem was the Confrontation Gallery, where we could hear the voices of adults, children, Whites and Blacks say things that they would only say behind closed doors. The question that the exhibit makes you ask yourself is, “Could that have been my voice?” After leaving the institute, we ate lunch at Mrs. B’s, a soul food cafe down the street from the church, park and museum.  Southern cooking is one of my favorite aspects of Southern culture. Mrs. B’s is well known and in the restaurant there are pictures of celebrities who have come and enjoyed the great food.

My favorite part of the day was the talk with Judge Helen Shores Lee, Mrs. Barbara Shores, and  Mrs. Peggy Heidi. The discussion was really personal and I loved the bond that the Shores sisters had with one another. This form of oral history is one of the fascinating ways to learn espcially for a Southern topic because of the importance of conversation for Southerners.  I enjoyed hearing the perspective of the bombings from both Black and White citizens of Dynamite Hill and how they both were affected by the bombings and prejudice in general. Mrs. Heidi represented a view point that is rarely depicted when discussing the Civil Rights Movement and the importance of a city like Birmingham in the movment. After the discussion, we were able to take a tour with Mrs. Heidi and it was a great experience to see the childhood home of Black Panther/Activist, Angela Davis. It is interesting to think of the racial and socio economic dynamics of Dynamite Hill during the Civil Rights Movement and present day. It seemed as if the street is now mostly Black, low to middle class families that live there.

Lastly, tonight we ate dinner at DreamLand BBQ with a Wake Forest alumnus, Cameron Cole. Cole is a native of Birmingham and he is the reason why we were able to meet with Mrs. Heidi and the Shores sisters today. Dinner was great and  seemed to make everyone feel at home because of the relaxed atmosphere.

Today we toured downtown Birmingham, from the 16th Street Baptist Church to Dynamite Hill down the road. We began by walking around the church (it was closed for Memorial Day weekend), and then strolling Kelly Ingram Park. At this park is where the Children’s March took place, a time when local children marched for freedom instead of adults, in hopes that they would not get arrested and the adults would not lose their jobs. Unfortunately, the children were severely hurt. The statues throughout the park depicted the violence that occured that day, and they were very powerful. One statue in particular, one where violent dogs are being held back police officers, stands out in my mind. I can’t imagine how scary that day must have been. This park was the divide in the city between the blacks and the whites, which is why the commotion took place there; after people saw the brutality of it all- even to the children- they realized that change needed to happen. But despite this violence on behalf of the police officers, the African-Americans were committed to remaining non-violent. I couldn’t believe how scary that must have been, yet remaining peaceful amidst this chaos deserves the most honorable respect I could ever imagine.

After Kelly Ingram Park we explored the Civil Rights Institute across the street. We saw old signs that divided the whites from the “colored” for everything from drinking fountains to buses. The pictures were shocking, but what really surprised me was the statistics about the differences in education among whites and blacks. Whites had incredibly more funding and the classes were the traditional sort; for African-Americans, however, the classes were agrarian or vocational. I couldn’t believe that the state would allow such discrepancies, and it made me realize that you can’t always trust the government to be fair.

For lunch we went to “Mrs. B’s on Fourth,” another typical Southern dining restaurant. I thought everyone was nice and friendly but later that night, DJ mentioned that the employees didn’t like serving the white girls in our group. I was really surprised that I had not even realized the “tension” in the room, but I guess it makes sense. I guess since I am not in a minority group, being an “outsider” does not usually cross my mind. It must be hard to be aware of these observations all the time; I can’t even imagine what the would be like. At first when I heard that I was a little bothered; I felt like I wanted to tell them that I wasn’t any different than their other customers. Perhaps this preconceived notion of who individuals are is at the heart of the problem.

Later in the day, we heard Mrs. Heidi and the Shores sisters talked about growing up in Birmingham during the Civil Rights Movement. Mrs. Heidi lived down the street from the Shores sisters, whose father was Arthur Shores (famous attorney). These women barely interacted throught childhood because Mrs. Heidi is white and the sisters are African-American; paradoxical to the time, the Shores family was much wealthier than the Heidi family. This was surprising to hear, and points to the importance of intersectionality when observing people and situations. These women told fascinating stories about life in Birmingham during the Civil Rights Movement. They both lived on “Dynamite Hill,” notoriously named due to the neighborhood’s tendency to get bombed. Ms. Helen Shores talked about how she was not able to go to Kiddieland, an amusement park, when she was young; this was dissapointing to her, clearly. Her family particularly lived in fear because her father’s prominence in the political sphere made them an easy target. I wasn’t shocked by the Shores’ stories, but hearing about these problems firsthand made me ponder how devastating it would be to live in a place where you aren’t accepted because of physical appearance. The ways in which these sisters were discriminated against also exceeded my previous understandings. At the end of the talk, Mrs. Heidi said something that made me look at the 1950-60s in a completely different way. She said that this time was difficult for everyone because everyone lived in fear each day. Once I thought about it, the more I felt that this movement was needed for the entire community, and that when one group is oppressed, it is detrimental for everyone. Mrs. Heidi’s comment make me feel attached and connected to the problems that everyone faced fourty years ago.

After we talked for a while, Mrs. Heidi took us to see the first elementary school that desegregated in Bermingham. The house she grew up in was right near the school, and she often saw a burning cross left from the KKK in the mornings. I can’t imagine waking up to find a burning cross in the back of a school!