Beale Street, Memphis, Tennessee

Dr. Sybil Jordan Hampton in Little Rock, Arkansas

Unsung Hero

A person I didn't know from the movement was Roscoe and his story of being behind it. When I listened to him I remembered easily of how much detail that was included into it. He's like the unsung hero in my opinion which I dont want him forgotten for nothing. And I was compelled that he is still alive all because he was asked not to go in the car of Chaney and the two New Yorkers. I read during storytelling that he went and got his master's from Pepperdine and that his children are also getting college education too. 

Franco

Positive aftermath

After getting out the circle from Selma, I was pretty astounded. That there is still information kept from us as a society swept under the rug. Which brings up to the fact that there is possibly erased history for everyone to forget. And that felt aggravating just figuring out what reality hit me with. Whoever knows it could be dead bodies undiscovered on unconvicted acts that ended crucial and brutal. In conclusion, hopefully a solution can come to past later on and something can actually have a positive aftermath. 

Franco

Kids as adults

At The Legacy Museum, there were letters of those who have been put in jail, but they are convicted wrongly and serving time that is not right for them. Kids and teens being put in jail, people believe that they should be put charged as adults. Which in my opinion is wrong, a child should not be charged as an adult. They are kids, kids who have no business in jail. I understand that there are crimes that need to be punished but, the age limit matters and the type of crime. Teens 15 years of age in an adult jail suffering, the teen knew what they have done. But the sentencing and the placement was a bit harsh. I want to know more about their case, what actually happened, why were they given that sentence? Who made the decision to charge kids as adults?

Aeon

Mr. Jones

One person involved in the Civil Rights movement that I didn’t know about before this trip is

Roscoe Jones. Roscoe Jones was a young man during the Civil Rights movement who was involved

with SNCC. He helped to register voters in the south, to gather attention for

Freedom Schools in Mississippi, and to organize and lead various other programs and protests.

During what was known as the Freedom Summer in Mississippi, 3 Civil Rights activists were

traveling down to Mississippi when they were murdered by klansmen.

Roscoe Jones was supposed to be the 4th member of the group,

but he had an important engagement that came up right

before the group was about to leave and so he couldn’t go.

The tragic story of these activists became widely known, and drew attention to conditions in Mississippi.

Mr. Jones’ story was really interesting to me, and it made me realize that there are

so many heroes of the Civil Rights movement that many don’t know about.

Mr. Jones’ story was so closely connected to a tragic one that everyone knows about,

and yet not many have heard his own name and story. I

think the unknown stories of the Civil Rights Movement are just as important as the known ones.

I think people need to allow themselves to be open to learning about the past even if it’s difficult.

I think we need to change the way we teach American history in school.

I personally am learning so much more than what I was taught about the

Civil Rights movement in school, and I wish that our history classes would be

changed to contain other important parts of American history. What more do I want to learn?

Well, I don’t know for sure but I want to continue visiting these Civil Rights museums and sites,

and I want to focus on paying attention to names I haven’t heard before as opposed to the ones I have.

Changing my mindset

This trip is teaching me a lot about the Civil Rights Movement. I'm learning about statistic and activist that are never in the history books. I feel fortunate enough to come on a trip and learn something that people in the United States have no knowledge of and most likely never will. 

This trip is changing my mindset on many things that I was ignorant about. 

Ashley

Roscoe Jones

One person involved in the Civil Rights Movement that I didn't know about before this trip is Roscoe Jones a World War 2 veteran. Mr. Jones marched from Selma to Montgomery on "Bloody Sunday". Jones was a resident of the Youth Chapter NAACP during the 1964 Freedom Summer. He worked in the local COFO office on voter registration with activists Michael Schwerner, James E. Chaney, and Andrew Goodman. He served as co-chair of the state-wide Freedom Summer Youth Convention at Meridian in 1964. Mr. Jones is the recipient of numerous awards including the Meridian Star for the 2012 "Unsung Hero”. He has spoken with numerous churches, community groups, and schools, including Stanford University.

The first thing that Mr.Jones said when meeting him for the first time was that he was the fourth Civil Right worker and if he was there that night he would've of been dead at seventeen and it wouldn't have made a difference. Mr. Jones urged the children to make a difference and to take a stand on something that they are passionate about. If the older generation cannot make a difference ask the younger generation for a helping hand.

My favorite quotes from him are

“things didn't get the was they are overnight, they're not going to change overnight”.

“you don't think anymore you react”

“You want to make a difference speak on it”.

“They kept secrets in the books”

“Don't start an organization without a leader"

The quotes I chose were important because the Civil Rights Movement fought for racial equality for years and to this day were still fighting. Books hold the history of the world and its full of the knowledge that isn't discovered yet. We had a lot of leaders in this world and they all fought for the people and wanted to make a difference for the people.

Georgianna

Someone from American history that I didn’t know about before this trip is Georgianna, a 13 year old slave. I learned about her by reading the ad in the paper put in to sell her at the Legacy museum. The description included: “About 13 years... She is very valuable and desirable... She will make a tall strong woman, smart enough for inside work, and strong enough for the field or road.” And it wasn’t even just Georgianna’s in that section but also her parents. Her dad Old George stayed: “As faithful and honest an Old African as ever lived.” And “His wife Judy- the same sort of character.” 

Reading these descriptions of these enslaved people appalled me. The fact that these people had the audacity to speak about the enslaved people in such a nice and positive manner, and then go on and treat them so horrible is absolutely immoral and wrong.  Also, the fact that the white people kidnapped and took these people from their homelands and forced them to come to America and become enslaved, and then have the audacity to “give them names” and speak about them so highly, but still manage to treat them as not-human is disgusting. 

Old George, Judy, and Georgianna are just 3 of these enslaved people who dealt with these realities. I don’t want to forget about them. And about all of the people, including the ones who barely even got one sentence besides their age which determines “what price they were worth.” The heartbreaking truth, is that this description in the newspapers was the only information about these enslaved people. Once they were sold, it would be very likely if you never heard from them again. I’d love to look more into if there is more information about other enslaved people, not just this description and not necessarily a “famous” or well-known slave, but those who were less known whose lives were equally as important. 

-Taura Zarfeshan 

James Lawson

“We will accept the violence and the hate, absorbing it without returning it.” - James Lawson

During our visit to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, I came across this quote. Little did I know the impact of James Lawson. His name is less recognizable, but he had a hand in most of the major nonviolent protests in the Civil Rights Movement. Lawson studied satyagraha in India,    teachings of Mohandas Gandhi. Lawson brought back these teachings to the US, and eventually came into contact with Dr. King. Lawson’s role became teaching nonviolence to people. Thus his influence in the freedom rides, sit-ins, and other protests is felt through his students, and Lawson did march as well. When we discuss the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, it is important to remember those like James Lawson who dedicated their time to lifting up others into the movement. Organization and education are just as important as leadership in social movements. 

Owen

Brenda Travis

At the Mississippi Civil rights Museum today, I read about a group of students who tried to integrate the McComb bus terminals, including one high schooler named Brenda Travis. She and her peers were arrested at the Greyhound bus station and spent 28 days in jail. When they were released, Travis found out that she  had been expelled from school. The next day, half of her classmates (115 people) walked out of school in an event known as the Burglund School Walkout. Travis was sent back to jail without a trial. The other students protested until forced to go back to school several weeks later, where they laid down their books and returned to the protest. According to mccomblegacies.org, ‘This was the first mass student-led movement in the state of Mississippi.’

Travis was only fifteen years old at the time. I wonder what I would have done in her situation, having to sit in prison for a month. 

Bella

The unknown victims

If I were to choose anyone that was involved in the civil rights movement that should not be forgotten would be all of the unknown victims of lynching. There are so many nameless people that have been killed because of lynching. Just because these people died without having their names documented, it does not mean that these people should be left to be forgotten. These people all lived with different stories, all coming from from different walks of life but they all shared the same fate: they died at the hands of oppressors.

I find it upsetting to know that those unknown people will continue to remain unknown and have been forgotten over the years because those people, died a horrible death too; the only difference between an unknown victim and a documented victim is that the unknown victim doesn’t have a name on record. Even though their name isn’t documented, their death is just as valid as anybody else’s.

I want to take this moment to remember and acknowledge these people because I don’t want them to die forgotten and and vain. The nameless victim is still a victim. With that being said, I would want to learn about all of the people who have been murdered and left to be forgotten because their life matters too. Through this blog post, I want to honor the lives of all the people that died with no name.

Tomas

Celebrating their lives

The Elaine massacres took place from October 1st until the 7th, 1919. The events of terror were organized by white people who believed that the black people of Arkansas were “out to get them”. At the lynching memorial, I saw the Phillips County memoria which showed an entire side covered with names. Towards the middle, was a bolder section that said over a week, over 230 individuals were murdered. 249, to be exact. I choose not just one person, but all those who were massacred on this day. To celebrate their lives properly, and to make sure their lives are known. We can remember these individuals by visiting the lynching memorial, by becoming more educated through literature, and by spreading the word.

Mollie

he really wasn’t worried

i really enjoyed having dinner with roscoe jones, and that’s not just cause i got to have kidney beans & other viable vegan options! what an amazing human being. i mean, there was the surface- he was a civil rights activist supposed to have been in that car with schwerner, chaney, & goodman, but got called to another engagement- but i got so much out of that. i found him incredibly inspiring.

here are a few things he said that really resonated with me.

“ i am a freedom fighter.”

“how many of you know what integrity is? do we have it? well, start having it. it’s a bible. if you don’t have integrity, you have nothing. when i see the lack of integrity...well, let me say this. you should all be fighting to have it.”

“under democracy we have power, contrary to popular belief.”

“the truth will set you free. a lie will go on & on...the truth hurts. a lie doesn’t hurt me. so i keep on marching.”

“i really wasn’t worried about my life.”

“if you see a wrong, you gotta right it.”

“at first i thought... hey! we had overcome!”

“don’t tell me about it. do something about it.”

“you don’t go to school for an education! life gives you an education! you go to school to learn how to learn! that’s my philosophy. in life experience, i’ve earned a doctorate degree. the price was very high. i could’ve died.”

“when you become silent, you lose power. don’t be like everyone else. don’t be scared to stand out, cause everybody is looking for somebody else to make a difference. stop & think. we react instead of thinking. stop regurgitating what you hear & think before you act. think before you do. think before you speak.”

“it’s not about you!”

“we need to look at the bible & see what happens when the israelites left egypt. they didn’t immediately go to the promised land.”

“we need to get back to our obligations.”

enough said, tbh. he was terrific. tremendously engaging guy!

something that struck me was, looking in various museums, that these sentiments of ‘do what needs to be done’ is what motivates  the kkk & all hate groups as well. it’s a common idiom that love & hate are different sides of the same coin, but now i think good & evil are too. i hope this doesn’t come across weird but- i was really inspired by what roscoe said, but sometimes the most inspiring messages of love can be eerily reminiscent of ‘inspirational’ messages of hate. i tried looking into messages of the kkk online that could serve a point of what i meant. “I am opposed to globalism, I am opposed to colonialism, I am opposed to any sort of complusion of one nation over another. (...) I also deeply believe in human rights.” david duke said that one. & the way they recruited people? they told people to do what they knew was right. i don’t know. there might be nothing there at all! there probably isn’t! maybe that’s just the sign of an effective recruitment system. but it still bothered me, those parallels, for reasons i’m not really sure about. i’ve always been hesitant to call someone evil. 

the more time i spend in the south, the more time i realize everyone is everyone. we’re all people. black people, kkk members, we’re all so much the same.

my friends recently told me after i voiced my concerns to him that he thought that we all have latent, dormant hate & love within us, and our cultures bring them out. i think that’s just... so true. so right.

anyway, i loved roscoe’s story & truly took a lot from that. i get more & more conflicted every day.

- naomI

Making use of our time

Someone that I did know some about but not as much as the other two activists we met was Roscoe Jones. I have heard of him before the trip but we didnt really go in depth in class. We should not forget about him because he was my age when that horrible night happened, and he was my age doing things in the movement for him to have freedom, for me to have freedom, and for everyone to have freedom. I’m still in shock that he could've died that night and I don't know how i would feel if that was me. After the incident he didn't really talk about it but after agreeing to an interview he started to talk about it. It made me realize that life is too short to not do something. We have limited time, and we need to make use of it.

Deliana

Thousands of Names

I’ve been thinking a lot about all the names of people who have been lynched. Thousands of names that I have never read before. Thousands of names that aren’t in the textbooks. I just don’t understand how we have these names and it is still not being taught. That it is 2019 and this is the first time I have read these names. 

I have also been thinking a lot about people’s positivity during the movement. For example during the Children’s Crusade in Birmingham, how people came back in bathing suits after being sprayed with a fire hose. All the smiling faces while they were being sent off to jail, showing no fear. How people held their composure when being spit at and yelled at and beat. Staying in their seats while being screamed at and threatened. I just don’t know how long I would be able to stay composed like that. It is amazing how courageous and thought people are. 

Lastly a quote that has stuck with me and I’ve been thinking about is this-

“Instead of the arms race, we want to lift up the human race. Instead of investing in more weapons of death and destruction, we want to see investments in education, economics, and human development, so that all people have the opportunity to realize their full human potential.” -Coretta Scott King.

Phaedra

ReplyForward

16th Street Baptist Church, Birmingham, Alabama

Black and White photos

I feel inspired by looking at  the black and white photos at the museum. You feel a genuine connection to the people and feel the burning passion and strength they had. Yes it was not an easy task, but it was a brave one to carry on. When faced with injustice we can not just sit back and wait, but take action and stand. That is why I am forever grateful, proud, and honoured to have ancestors of bravery and might. Eva

Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama

Whispers from the South

Whispers from the South

Weeping willows swaying in the sad wind

History reminds, leaves tracks in the soil

Red mud stained the palms of hands

Forgotten names and unknown images

Misleading information, corrupts what Remands in my mind. Stuck behind time.
Hands can’t reach, the hands who needed My help.
My ears were blocked from the Cries of the wounded, beaten, and killed.

Every sight is a new face, new voice,

Awakened sympathy and sadness

I’m sorry..

Air rippling through the atmosphere

Absorbing the stories told

Word after word fogs the sky

I see them, I feel them

Seeing those who were separated

Symbols broken

I shall remain informed

I hear you

Aeon Edwards