Civil rights bus tour heading south next spring
Students are invited to join a rolling classroom community and head south to explore the history and significance of the civil rights movement during spring break 2016.
The 20 students who participated in the spring 2014 bus tour came away from the trip with a deeper understanding of the power of protest and the ways in which courage and a deep commitment to social justice mark the participants in this movement, both black and white. “What was most memorable about the trip was the way the people, places and things came to life for us,” said Madeleine Guerra ’15.
Participants will visit iconic locations of the civil rights movement and meet with people who participated in the key events of the time. En route to these destinations, students will view documentaries and engage in discussions that explore life in the segregationist south and the origins and leaders of the civil rights movement.
Program highlights include:
- Greensboro, N.C. – International Civil Rights Center and Museum
- Atlanta, Ga. – Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change
- Montgomery, Ala. – Holt Street Baptist Church, First Baptist Church, Civil Rights Memorial, Freedom Rides Museum, Rosa Parks Library and Museum
- Birmingham, Ala. – Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
- Washington, D.C. – Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, Lincoln Memorial
Two optional, seven-week courses will allow students to receive up to 6 credits for the trip. HIS399 Special Topics will meet twice a week beginning in late January and conclude with the bus tour, while RTS335 Social Ethics will meet twice a week beginning after spring break.
The application deadline is Thursday, Oct. 1
