Today is our last and final day in Montgomery and we went to the bridge that the black people tried to cross to get there voting rights and they were attacked by the police. The tradition name for that day is “Bloody Sunday.” We crossed that bridge and went into the town of Selma Alabama and it is a predominately black town.

Most of the people that were involved in the march that was from Carver housing and we went there today to find that they had historical things that Martin Luther King spoke on and the churches that he spoke at all on the same street. The people of Selma are low income

Today opened my eyes to a lot of things that I take for granted or the things that I am just naive to. What I did not know was that a lot of people lost their life to grant me the voting privilege. From here on I vow to myself to vote and not just to vote for the justice of myself but because of the people that sacrificed their life to give me that privilege to vote. I was down most of the day but I still seemed to mingle with my peers.

 The first full day in Montgomery I learned about the walk for voting privileges. The walk was from Selma Alabama to Montgomery but first we learned about the racial tension that was occurring in Montgomery and the whole time I was thinking how could white people do or treat other human beings like they did, how could they not acknowledge the fact that black people breathe the same air they breathe. I had built up a lot of animosity in heart towards white people during that time and at times I know that it probably showed on my face to my peers that I was anger, upset and mad. I was really bothered by things that happened to my people during that time of history. I just could not understand how a human being can treat another human being like trash. But when professor Hattery and Smith put in document about this white man that basically gave up his life to help the black the people, it total changed my views from seeing all white people as the same during that time.

Today we celebrated Memorial Day and had a cookout. We had a lot of bounding times as a group. It seemed as if we got lost for a second but our SUPER bus driver Ronnie got us back on the right track. We stop to a local store and got hamburger patties, hot dogs, chips, water and soda for cookout. The food was great and I have to give it up for SUPER Ronnie for making it happen.

While we were waiting on the food to get done cooking we started to explore the historical sight that they had there. The historical place was mainly about the walk from Selma to Montgomery. While in the historical place we tent that people lived in because they had lost their jobs because they wanted to vote. We watched a document that basically explained everything that we saw and after our exploring we had a great cookout.

The fountain memorial outside the Southern Poverty Law Center in downtown Montgomery was really interesting. We were all kind of just drawn to it and to play with the water and once we got to it were able to read the important dates including all of the demonstrations we have learned about on the trip so far. Reading all the plaques on the wall inside the center commemorating 40 various people who died during the struggle emphasized how many people were innocently killed who were not even protesting. There were stories of high school kids getting shot on their way home from school or to basketball practice and even a young man shot and killed who was only dancing at a club The wall includes white and black people that were murdered and in the next room of the center there is an interactive wall of peace for people to sign and pledge tolerance. It was exciting to see all of our names being added and scrolled down the wall along with others such as Morris Dees. We were also shown the locations of several hate groups that exist today in each state of the US such as neo Nazis and neo confederates. After hearing about court cases and law suites to finally dissemble the United Klansmen of America and then seeing how many other groups that continue to exist reiterates the goal of this course-to learn the history and the progression but also be mindful of what still needs to be done in this country to ensure equality.

Stopping in Selma to walk the Edmund Pettis Bridge was fun because we got to walk in a group exactly where the march had taken place just in the opposite direction. The bridge is rounded so much that when you are walking you cannot see the other end until you get to the middle which is when the marchers caught sight of the massive amounts of police officers blocking the exit. As a couple people in our group were scared to walk the bridge from fear of heights we can only imagine what it must have been like to be walking in the heat and so motivated to march for voting rights only to be suddenly stopped without a safe getaway. After our short bridge stop in Selma we got some food and headed to Bay St. Louis on a long bus ride that was entirely dedicated to class time, Spike Lee’s movie about the 16^th Street Baptist church bombing, and a CNN coverage on the affects of Katrina in our destination town but no nap time!

Driving on Highway 80 while listening to reports and watching footage from the march from Selma to Montgomery was just the start to a very eventful day.  As we discussed the fights for voting rights that took place in Alabama, Dr. Smith really put things into perspective for us by sharing what he was doing on March 7, 1965.  It is easy to see pictures and displace events to make them seem longer ago but as Dr. Smith showed us-they really weren’t.  Dr. Smith had graduated high school and was in the war amongst black soldiers who did not have the ability to vote.  People are easily shipped off and expected to fight for their country when they cannot even partake fully in the democracy.  Also the man we happened to meet in the museum at the Lowndes Interpretive Center really made me realize how recent these events occurred and how much apart of their lives they continue to be.  He was so enthusiastic to talk with us and point himself out in the photograph of the first attempt of the march that was halted so brutally by a line of policemen who beat and tear-gased the marchers.  That very same photograph is also in the Smithsonian.  The video we watched in the museum was very touching especially the woman who was talking about the violence that persisted into the night after it erupted on the bridge.  She recounts running from the police while a girl was hurt on the sidewalk and not being able to check on her out of terror from the police.  The drastic violence and degree of chaos caused by the police was in response to many people peacefully walking and trying to cross the Edmund Pettis Bridge.  Although fueled with anger about voting rights, the protesters were just walking and not doing anything to provoke the events that cause the day to be remembered as Bloody Sunday.

The section of the museum we explored after the film is what affected me the most.  The statue of a police officer with a gas mask on holding a nightstick was mortifying and I cannot even imagine approaching the bridge to see the “sea of blue” cops armed and ready for them.  The most haunting part of the museum for me was what I read in the section dedicated to Tent City.  A 17 year old girl went into labor with complications and eventually bled to death because she would have no hope being admitted to an all white hospital and the alternative was too far away.  To read about such a young girl bleeding to death and trying to sympathize with her pain and fear is unreal.  As I pointed the story out to Dr. Hattery she asked me to think about my own life and what I was doing at 17.  The only things I worried about then were the SATs and getting into college.  My biggest anxieties and stresses were over a test that which the scores are already meaningless.  Our Reflection reading with the Peggy McIntosh’s “White Privilege” tied in nicely with the day to emphasize the injustice of several factors that I do not have to think about on a day to day basis but shape other people’s lives.

Walking around outside after the museum was a perfect way to actually process what I had just seen and relate it to other issues.  Margaret and I discussed several of the problems we have been learning about the past few days and how it is affecting our group and how they affect our lives.  To think about 4,000 people marching for 53 miles for a right I was just born with is astounding.  I complain when I have to drive 53 miles let alone walk.

Again I’m posting this a few days late…I’ll catch up soon.
What to say about today? Well its Memorial Day so the majority of places we would have gone were closed, like the Rosa Parks Museum. We ended up having a great day though. We went to a place called the Interpretive Learning Center. It is located on Highway 80, which is where people marched from Selma, AL to Montgomery to fight for voter registration rights. There was an exhibit inside the building, as well as surrounding the building telling stories of the march. We also watched a video that gave different people’s perspectives of the march. When I say different perspectives I mean even white supremacists who felt that the black people injured or killed deserved it. It was really powerful to watch the video and see the different opinions and to learn more about the march. I think I take for granted the right to vote, because it is something I’ve been exposed to all my life and looking forward to for just as long.

I remember a time when I was younger, maybe 4 or 5 years old, I remember an adult in my life telling me that because we live in a free country she could say that she hates the president without getting in trouble. In addition she had the ability to vote for who she wanted and had some impact (even if it is minimal) on the outcome of an election. The right to vote, the ability to register to vote and the actual process of voting are something I never really considered. It became a second nature thought. My point in talking about that is that I never considered the idea of needing to fight for the right to register to vote. It was never an experience I had to deal with or encountered the thought of it on a very personal level. It was something we talked about in history class a couple times, but I wasn’t aware of the circumstances of it or the consequences. Going to the Interpretive Center forced me to recognize some of those things.

Later in the day, following reflections (which were interesting to say the least) we walked to the Dexter Ave Baptist Church where Martin Luther King Jr. had served as pastor for numerous years and to the capitol building. One of the monuments on the property of the capitol building was thoroughly disturbing to me. It was a monument commemorating the Confederate soldiers and the righteousness of the South. I think my favorite quote from the monument was this: “The knightliest of the knightly race who since the days of old, have kept the lamp of chivalry alight in hearts of gold.” Another good one came from around the corner on the monument. It read: “Fame’s temple boasts no higher name, no king is grander on his throne; no glory shines with brighter gleam, the name of ‘patriot’ stands alone.” Surrounded by the lovely monument were 4 versions of the Confederate flag, with plaques underneath them that alluded to the purity of the South in their fight for freedom. I can’t say that sat very well with me; especially with it sitting right next to the building for the capitol of Alabama.

As I mentioned previously reflections for the day were interesting. We discussed a piece entitled “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” by Peggy McIntosh. It’s basically a list of daily things that whites tend to have more privilege in, but may go unrecognized by them. There was a long period of time during the reflection time when I was unable to talk, because Marcus asked that only the African-American students speak. It was really frustrating because there were so many times when I had something to say. Not that I could necessarily relate to things they said, but because I wanted to stand up for myself. I felt like some people were making huge generalizations and it was upsetting. I know that happens all the time and to all people. I don’t really want to go into that though.

Today we went to the Southern Poverty Law Center. It was my favorite thing we’ve done so far on the trip. I have loved learning about all the Civil Rights history, and this event combined learning more stuff with more of a way to combat current problems…or at least a knowledge of the current issues and an awareness that someone is doing something about it. We talked at length about the hate groups that are currently in existence. The SPL Center’s map of Active U.S. Hate Groups allows you to click on your state and see the hate groups in each city. It also has descriptions of all of them. It’s really informative and interesting.

I was shocked to see that Florida has the third highest number of groups. This is incredibly alarming to me. I thought for sure that there would be more groups from the deep south. It just really gave me a stomach ache to think that a place that I love so much can hold within it so much hatred.

After the presentation, a few of us stood around and talked to the man who gave the presentation. It was really cool to hear him talk about all the things that the law center does. I’ve really been feeling lately that I want to work in the non-profit sector. I just love the idea of making helping others my life’s work. And this place seems like an ideal place to do so. It combines my love for politics and my passion for social justice in a way that directly impacts the lives of those who desperately need the assistance. He said that they hire interns every summer, which would be such an amazing opportunity.

After this, we drove to Selma to walk across the Edmund Pettis Bridge. It was powerful beyond what words could describe to stand at the top and know that the marchers stood there with no clue what waited them on the other side. Because of the way that the bridge arches, you cannot see the bottom from the top. I don’t think that, even in their worst nightmares they imagined that they would be met with billy clubs and tear gas. I certainly would not have thought that. As I talked about yesterday, the atrocities of the event are shocking to me. I will never be able to comprehend what went through the minds of the white police officers, government officials, and intolerant citizens during all these years.

Coming into today, I had always wondered how laws for civil rights were passed into law, because other than hearing about the historic marches, there is little said about the legislative aspect of fighting segregation. Once we visited the Southern Poverty Law center in downtown Montgomery, Alabama, I got a lot of my questions answered. Outside the S.P.L.C is an extraordinarily great memorial with the powerful words of Rev. Dr. Martin L. King Jr. along with important dates of the civil rights movement. Aside from what was on the exterior on the building, there were equally important memorials inside.

The film that we viewed inside the S.L.P.C was full of images that I had never seen before in previous documentaries. It explained the various court decisions and some of the litigations that are present in our society today. I was so surprised to see that so many hate groups are still active today. With 4 hate groups within a 30 mile radius of my hometown, it raised my attention to how things really are where and how people really think in my surroundings.

The interesting concept that caught my attention is the connection with the 1996 Olympic bombing and the bomber Eric Rudolph. I had always wondered how he managed to escape and remain hidden for so long. He was later found in a neighboring city (30 miles west) of Asheville, NC, my hometown. His connection to a hate group located in that area gave him the resources to hide for so long. That conspiracy caught me off guard. In my hometown there had been bombings of abortion clinics also linked to Eric Rudolph. One of the beliefs of the alleged hate group found in the area is the opposition to abortion. With so many hate groups functioning silently but effectively is a scary thought for me to think about. It also reinforces the idea that things revolving around hate have not disappeared over the past 40 years of equal rights legislation which is very disappointing.

Today being Memorial Day, nearly everything in Montgomery was closed. This gave the city a really interesting feel, especially considering it’s the capital. But I guess that’s why the effect was so strong. We’re staying close to downtown, so all the federal buildings down there were closed and not too many people were around.

This morning we went to the Interpretive Center on the Selma-Montgomery Trail. We watched a really great film on the Selma-Montgomery March. I find that a lot of films of this nature lose my attention, but this one didn’t. As could be expected, I was again appalled at what I learned. My roommates and I had to do some research on the event last night, so it wasn’t all new information, but we got to see film of the original event, which gave it a new perspective. On the first attempt of the march, often called Bloody Sunday, the marchers were only able to get six blocks, to the Edmund Pettis Bridge. When the crossed over the bridge, they were attacked with tear gas and billy clubs. The images of this were heartbreaking. I can’t imagine what it must have been like to go through that. It’s so hard to see all these images and to think that people legitimately thought it was acceptable to treat others in that manner. There is simply no justification or excuse for these actions.

After we finished the movie, we were walking through the rest of the mini museum. While we were doing so, this man came in and started talking to us. He was a resident of the area who was just driving past and saw the bus, so he came in to talk to whoever was touring. He walked around with us for a bit, and when we got to an enlarged picture of five men from the day of the march, he told us about how he was one of them, the one on the end. Susan took a picture of him next to the life-size picture of him from so many years ago. It was so nice of him to come and talk to us. There was no reason for him to come in, yet he did.

The land where this memorial site is constructed is the place were displaced sharecroppers lived. When the civil rights movement started, white landowners kicked the African Americans who worked for them (and lived off their land) out, giving them nowhere to live. This area between Selma and Montgomery was one of a few “tent towns” that were constructed. Families lived in tents, some for a few years, in all sorts of weather. It made me think back to the night I spent camping in the snow over Easter Break. We spent one night in it and all thought we were dying. It was easily one of the most intense experiences of many of our lives. None of us slept a wink. Now place that as a common occurrence during the winter months. I don’t think it probably snows really frequently in Alabama, but it certainly gets much colder than would be comfortable. The sacrifices these people made are astounding. Moreover, the fact that it was a necessary step angers me. I just wish everyone could really believe and accept that all men were created equal…and start treating people that way. It is 2007, after all.

When we got back to Montgomery, we had a very interesting reflection time. Marcus had us read this article that had statements pointing out instances of white privilege. There were a lot of really obvious ones, such as “I can if I wish arrange to be in the company of people of my race most of the time.” On the other hand, there were tons that I had never really thought about, or at least not thought about at length. Some examples are: “I do not have to educate my children to be aware of systematic racism for their own daily physical protection…I can do well in a challenging situation without being called a credit to my race…I can choose blemish color or bandages in “flesh” color and have them more or less match my skin.” These were all things I’d honestly never considered. The idea of training your children to deal with racism makes me so sad. I can’t believe we have to raise children in a society where that must be done. And there’s little being done to change that fact. During our discussion, Marcus had only the African Americans talk, so as to let them comfortably voice their personal experiences. I was upset to hear every one of them tell multiple stories of daily racist encounters. It really is true, what Dr. Hattery had us discuss last semester…those in privilege never have to think about their privileges. Those who are underprivileged constantly have to consider it. While I think this will always be the case for most people, I am so glad that I came on this trip because it is opening my eyes to so many things that I’d never once considered, leaving me more aware of how the smallest things that I, or other people, do can have terrible emotional effects on others.

After this, we walked down to the downtown area. We walked down Commerce street to the area where the old slave trade auction block was located. Now an elaborate fountain stands in its place. We all thought it was quite interesting that the name of the street where the trading block used to sit was Commerce…and really rather appalling. After this we walked to Martin Luther King, Jr.’s old church. It’s so exciting to walk past so many areas with such rich history. After that we continued to the capitol building. This building was the original white house and capital of the confederacy, before it moved to Richmond. There are monuments of all sort of historic Alabamians around the building. In addition there is an atrocious confederate monument that seemed almost as tall as the building. It had sayings on there about the “knightliest of the knightly race” and “the great fight” and talked about the white in the confederate flag as being symbolic for purity. It was all I could do not to throw up. It was the most disgusting display of southern backwardness and intolerance that I have ever seen. It was all I could do not to cry at the sight of it, for I knew how much it hurt the people I was with and how much it would continue to hurt others who saw it later. Once again I was unable to understand how someone could think that it is okay to construct such a thing, no less something of the size that is was and next to the capitol building. Clearly Alabama has progressed by leaps and bounds since the end of the Civil War…and the Civil Rights Movement. Or maybe not…

Today was a very long day filled with a few different activities. We woke up bright and early this morning to check out of our hotel and walk to the Southern Poverty Law Center where we had an appointment at 9:00am. We actually went into the Civil Rights Memorial Center, which is across the street from the Southern Poverty Law Center, but associated with it. This gave yet another perspective on the civil rights movement, and gave more faces and names to those who were killed for fighting for their beliefs and freedom. While we have heard many stories from this movement, they never cease to amaze me and sadden me. My favorite part of the exhibit was the Wall of Tolerance. This wall records the names of people who have made a commitment to work in their daily lives for justice, equality and human rights. The wall is digital, and we were all able to put our names on the wall. It was really neat to see my name and the names of my classmates up there along with the names of many others who have dedicated their lives to this cause.

After the museum we got back on the bus and left Montgomery. We stopped in Selma, Alabama to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge and to walk through the George Washington Carver Projects. The bridge that we walked across was the bridge that the marchers crossed during their walk to Montgomery, but it was also the bridge that they were violently attacked on by police on March 7^th, 1965, also known as Bloody Sunday. It was incredible to trace these people’s steps as they began their journey, and it was also interesting to be on the bridge and realize that the marchers could have had no idea what brutality was awaiting them on the other side because you cannot see down to where the police were waiting for them. The George Washington Carter Housing Project was very interesting for a number of reasons. First of all, I had never been very close to any projects, and it was eye-opening to see the way the housing these people lived in. There was one little store within the projects that was completely different from anything I was expecting. Aside from the tiny size of the store, I was shocked to walk in and see that the person working the store and all the merchandise were behind bars. I had never seen a store with that type of security, and was very surprised at it. The other thing we saw that was probably the reason for the visit to the housing project was the Baptist church where the marchers congregated before beginning their journey to Montgomery. This church is located in the middle of the project, and has a famous monument to Martin Luther King Jr. with the words “I had a dream.” It was very strange to see this famous saying put in the past tense.

Following our visit to Selma, we drove to Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. The drive was kind of long, but not as bad as I thought it would be. We are staying in a casino/hotel for the next three nights, so I am anticipating a fun time. Of course, the main reason for our visit to this area is to work with the Hancock county library and to help these people record their Hurricane Katrina stories. We will meet with them tomorrow, which should be very different from all the other things we have done so far on this trip. Ok, off to the casino for me!!

The street that led up to the state’s capital building that capstoned the March from Selma originated from the town square that was the site of Montgomery’s trade of enslaved persons and where Mrs. Rosa Parks stood up for justice and equality by sitting down.  As I stood in the deserted space across from Dexter Avenue King Baptist Church which is nestled between numerous government buildings (the capital, SPLC, safety building, courts, etc.), the occupied police car did not move.

As I contemplate what message my “afro-d” presence might have sent then, memories flood my mind of averted and astonished glances along this journey that have made for solid reflection conversations and noticeable discomfort.  I find it appropriate that we are lodging at a casino/hotel for the next few days where I’ve seen a young girl emerge from a pool to wrap herself in the “stars and bars” of the Confederacy, giving voice to the awkward looks and attempts at discrete conversations that happen as people move to the slot machines.

Perhaps the whole of our group’s presence here in the American South is a gamble…