As part of their Civil Rights in the South Winter Term course, a group of students and teachers traveled to Georgia and Alabama, visiting a number of historical sites that recognize and memorialize this country’s work to promote civil rights, justice, and equality. JK-12 History and Social Sciences Department Chair Carla Federman, Upper School English Teacher Celeste Prince, and Dean of Faculty Grace Lee led 15 high school students through five days of exploring key locations that played pivotal roles in shaping Civil Rights history: Atlanta, Montgomery, Selma, and Birmingham. They walked in the footsteps of Civil Rights leaders, gaining a deeper understanding of their legacy and learning more about present-day Civil Rights struggles. “This week was emotional, invigorating, and eye-opening for all of us, even the adults who are more familiar with the history,” said Prince.
Atlanta
The group began their travels at Ponce City Market, where they met with the Executive Director of the Atlanta Beltline Partnership and learned about the revitalization efforts in Atlanta and how the city is attempting to use the Beltline to approach urban renewal in an equitable way. The next day, after watching Ava Duvernay’s Selma together, the group made their way to the Martin Luther King Jr. National Park, where they heard from a Park Ranger about the Sweet Auburn neighborhood and Dr. King’s family and upbringing. They toured Ebenezer Baptist Church, where Dr. King’s father served as pastor and where Dr. King attended church as a child. They made a brief stop at the King Center and walked Auburn Street and, after lunch, visited the APEX Museum, one of the oldest Black History museums in the country. At the end of their time in Atlanta, they had the opportunity to experience some of the joy that Atlanta has to offer, touring the World of Coke, riding the Atlanta Skyview, and then watching the Hawks beat the Suns from the Coca-Cola suite.
Montgomery
“Montgomery holds a unique place in American history—it was a key location during enslavement and the Civil War, and later became central to the Civil Rights Movement–so our time here was framed around the intersection between those different periods and how history is presented and remembered,” Federman explained. On the first day in Atlanta, students spent the morning at three different sites: the Alabama State Capitol, the First White House of the Confederacy, and the Riverwalk. At each stop, they examined the aspects of history that are emphasized, as well as what is overlooked in the narratives that these places share. Then, after lunch, they headed to Alabama State University, an HBCU, where historians at their National Center for the Study of Civil Rights gave them valuable insight into ASU’s role in the Civil Rights Movement, and in particular, the activism of students during both the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955-56 and the Montgomery marches in 1965. They also had the opportunity to explore the Center’s exhibits and archives, learning about ASU’s work to preserve the stories of the Movement. The following day, the group started the morning at the bus stop where Rosa Parks was arrested, then moved up the street to Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, where Dr. King served as the pastor. From there, they headed to the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Civil Rights Memorial, where the exhibits focused on the connection between past and present and emphasized the importance that individuals today have in modern civil rights issues. After that, students had the opportunity to visit all three of the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) sites: the newly-opened Freedom Monument Sculpture Park, the Legacy Museum, and the Peace and Justice Memorial. “Visiting the Legacy sites was one of the main reasons Ms. Federman and I wanted to create this course,” Prince said. “Seeing the different artifacts, witnessing the silent testament of the steel columns at the Peace and Justice Memorial, and being forced to walk through the sites without taking any photos or videos was incredibly powerful. Montgomery and the EJI are doing incredible work to tell the truth about our country.” Elise Tourais ’28 agreed, saying, “A place that gave me purposeful insight was the Legacy Museum. It made me realize that one day I might want to be some type of lawyer because I heard and read so many stories about African Americans that were unfairly sent to prison, with little evidence and because of powerful racist people. I want to be able to help, and to make a change in the world.”
Harris Ahmad ’25 said, “Visiting the Legacy Museum was meaningful to me because the exhibits traced the history of racial injustice from slavery to mass incarceration, giving me an understanding of the struggles and resilience of African Americans throughout history.” All of the museums, memorials, and experiences in Montgomery were incredibly moving. “We’re proud of the kids for engaging with this learning and material that is so often challenging mentally and emotionally, even for adults,” said Federman.
Selma and Birmingham
Students then travelled to Selma, where they learned more about the importance of the Selma-to-Montgomery March and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and then followed in the marchers’ footsteps by walking the Edmund Pettus Bridge. “To me, the Pettus Bridge was very meaningful because that’s where Martin Luther King Jr. and a lot of other individuals marched across, and I feel like that was a very big movement that changed many people’s lives,” said Lauren Smith ’27. “I realized how many people there were who helped us get where we are today that we didn’t even know about. Without E.D. Nixon, MLK, Rosa Parks, and others, we wouldn’t be the country we are today.”
From there, they moved on to Birmingham. They explored Rickwood Field, the oldest standing Negro Leagues ballpark in the country, to talk about race and sports both past and present (and also got the chance to walk the field and get some throws or swings in!). Next, they visited the historic Bethel Baptist Church, where docents taught the group about Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth and the movement in Birmingham. Lastly, they ended the time in Birmingham by visiting the 16th Street Baptist Church to remember the four little girls killed in the bombing in 1963, and then walked across the street to Kelly Ingram Park to learn more about Project C, a series of sit-ins and marches. “There was a palpable sense of history in all of these places,” Federman added. “It was an honor to be together in these locations, places that bore witness to both immense hardship but also remarkable strength and agency. Our hope is that students were inspired by the lives and actions of those we learned about.”
Back to Atlanta
After driving back to Atlanta, the travelers met with Georgia State Representative Bryce Berry ’19, the youngest member ever elected to the Georgia State House. Berry shared with them stories of his time at MICDS and at Morehouse, as well as his current dual roles as a public school teacher and a State Representative. He encouraged the students to think about their own sense of agency, and the ways that they, despite their ages, can be active in pursuing justice and equality for all people.
“When reflecting on equality and justice during this trip, I learned that the past teaches us to not repeat the same mistakes in the future and that these struggles require our active participation to advocate for change,” said Ahmad. “I learned that it is everyone’s role to carry on the mission and legacy of various activists who were impactful in the movement and that we all have a part to play in creating a more just society.”
“Equality and justice are two words that are connected,” shared Tourais, in reflecting on the experience. “To achieve equality, justice must be obtained. When I went on the trip, the past connected to the present through all of the stories that are getting passed down generation by generation. Some of these horrible things that African Americans went through are still happening today to various people. Things have gotten better, but segregation has not ended. Now that I have been told these stories, it is my job to pass them forward.”
Ahmad concluded, “I would recommend this trip to other students because it was an eye-opening experience that really brings history to life. Visiting the museums, memorials, and other sites helps with understanding the depth and impact of civil rights struggles. It is a powerful way to learn and inspires you to make a difference in your own community.”