by various trip participants
Aaron Horowitz, age 16:
I found the civil rights trip incredibly illuminating. Although I had learned about many of the events that took place during the civil rights movement and the people behind them in school, being able to visit the locations where those events took place and being able to speak with some of the people behind them provided much more historical context.
An especially meaningful part of the trip for me was being able to speak with JoAnne Bland, a participant of the Bloody Sunday march. She was among the nonviolent protesters for civil rights who were brutally attacked by police officers after crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. JoAnne Bland spoke to us about her experience with the civil rights movement and the principles of nonviolence on which it was established. The incredible strength and courage that was required of her to fight for civil rights in the face of extreme danger stuck with me, as did her fortitude and charisma. To me, JoAnne’s story has served as a reminder of the great importance of speaking out and being an active participant in and defender of democracy, even when it can be challenging to do so. This is of particular relevance to me as a young person as I consider what I would like to do with my life and the impact which I should strive to leave on the world. JoAnne’s story and others like it prompted many deep conversations among me and many others on the trip, and led us to question our perceptions of equity, advocacy, and fairness.
Norm Ornstein:
The Civil Rights Trip was uplifting, inspirational – and also depressing.
First, the uplifting part: seeing the courage and resilience of so many heroes who put their bodies, lives and livelihoods on the line to achieve basic human rights, and who achieved some hard fought victories, including after the bus boycott and with the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Inspirational was being with two venerable figures who were at Bloody Sunday and continue to fight.
But overshadowing the triumphs was knowing that so many of these gains have been diluted or reversed. The Shelby County and Brnovich Supreme Court decisions have eviscerated the Voting Rights Act. States like Florida and Alabama – and many more – are trying to whitewash, literally, the history of slavery, lynching and the civil rights movement. Anti-Semitism reared its ugly head right after our trip when neo-Nazis harassed theater-goers on Broadway heading to a revival of the musical “Parade” about Leo Frank. [On the trip, we discussed Leo Frank, a Jewish business owner from Atlanta who was accused of murder in 1913 and lynched in 1915; he was posthumously pardoned in 1986.] Wonderful as the trip was, under the great leadership of Hannah and Laura, and the hard work of Jenny, it all underscored how much work we have ahead of us just to get back to where we once were.
Tony Ciccone and Robin Glantz:
What a trip!
Seeing what we saw leaves us both saddened and shocked. Never did a few days make such a deep impression: from Montgomery’s Peace & Justice memorial garden for lynching victims — to Rosa Parks’ daring stand against bigotry — to crossing Selma’s infamous Edmund Pettus Bridge to the sound of racist taunts from people driving by — and finally joining a warm & welcoming Ebenezer Baptist Sunday service in Atlanta. This will take some time to process and everyone should see it for themselves to believe it.
It makes us realize how much work remains to be done. Thank you Rabbi Goldstein, Cantor Croen and everyone who made this extraordinary opportunity possible!
Marsha Pinson:
A week ago tonight, I returned to Washington from the Civil Rights Tour. It was an unforgettable journey from Atlanta, GA, to Montgomery, Selma, and Birmingham in AL, and back again to Atlanta. True, we covered many miles and even a time zone in 3 days; but it was the history we traversed that drained me. Our tour guides enhanced our stops with information and thoughtful insights into the sites and the people we would encounter. Cantor Croen and Rabbi Goldstein also brought us unforgettable spiritual moments, and it was our spirits that needed support. Read the full blog post here.
To view photos from the trip, courtesy of David Marchick, click here.