-Matt Crager
This morning, we left Montgomery unprepared for the sights we’d see, the lessons we’d learn, and the extraordinary people that we’d meet over the course of one short day in Selma, Alabama. The state has intrigued, frustrated, and confused us, but most importantly, Alabama has opened our eyes.
In Selma, we took a tour of the city with Mark Duke, a civil rights expert and the founder of the Freedom Foundation. Mark is a passionate individual, and his extensive knowledge of the Civil Rights Movement is incredibly impressive. Unfortunately, the information he had to share was frightening. In all honesty, nothing could have prepared us to hear what he had to say.
Sitting in the pews of Selma Community Church and walking the streets of the community, Mark told us about not only events of the Civil Rights Movement, but also of the current condition of Selma – this, of everything that he had to share, had the greatest impact on me…
Today, Selma exists in a state of de facto segregation. The city’s public schools are attended by black students while white students attend private schools. The poverty rate is a sky high, and most people that live in destitution occupy the city’s east side, which is predominately black. Meanwhile, white citizens live almost exclusively on the west side of town. Sadly, Selma’s country club only accepts white citizens. Moreover, the city’s private schools don’t have off for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Interestingly enough, they do break for the birthday of Robert E. Lee.
By the end of the tour, I was dumbfounded and cynical about the future – why had no progress been made, even after all that was done in Selma during the Civil Rights Movement to ensure that the city emerged from its repugnant past? After all of these years, there’s still so, so much progress to be made.
Upon returning to Selma Community Church, however, my mood changed. We spent time in the Freedom Café, talking with students that came to Selma to learn about the Civil Rights Movement and complete service projects for the Freedom Foundation during their spring breaks. Later, we learned about the Random Acts of Theatre Company, a program in Selma – now with branches in Atlanta, Denver, and Washington, D.C. – established to bring black and white students together in a positive environment, instill values, and inspire them to change the world for future generations.
Ultimately, it was encouraging to see that there are efforts being made to change the course of history – to transform not only Selma, but an entire nation that still feels the pangs of inequality in varying forms. In short, I’m hopeful because people are simply doing things; there are people that aren’t just lamenting the situation, but working tirelessly to find a solution.
Earlier today, we watched a video at the Lowndes Interpretive Center. The narrator told us that we absolutely must find a way to leave the world a better place than it was when we entered it. Selma may seem discouraging, but the people at the Freedom Foundation are showing us that that’s possible – the world can always be bettered. They’re showing us that it’s not enough to gawk at an issue from afar, but that we have to get our hands dirty doing the work that will make a difference. They’re showing us that we can make the world a better place.
So, yes, there’s plenty of progress to be made, but today, we saw that it is most certainly not an improbable feat.
This morning, we left Montgomery unprepared for the sights we’d see, the lessons we’d learn, and the extraordinary people that we’d meet over the course of one short day in Selma, Alabama. The state has intrigued, frustrated, and confused us, but most importantly, Alabama has opened our eyes.
In Selma, we took a tour of the city with Mark Duke, a civil rights expert and the founder of the Freedom Foundation. Mark is a passionate individual, and his extensive knowledge of the Civil Rights Movement is incredibly impressive. Unfortunately, the information he had to share was frightening. In all honesty, nothing could have prepared us to hear what he had to say.
Sitting in the pews of Selma Community Church and walking the streets of the community, Mark told us about not only events of the Civil Rights Movement, but also of the current condition of Selma – this, of everything that he had to share, had the greatest impact on me…
Today, Selma exists in a state of de facto segregation. The city’s public schools are attended by black students while white students attend private schools. The poverty rate is a sky high, and most people that live in destitution occupy the city’s east side, which is predominately black. Meanwhile, white citizens live almost exclusively on the west side of town. Sadly, Selma’s country club only accepts white citizens. Moreover, the city’s private schools don’t have off for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Interestingly enough, they do break for the birthday of Robert E. Lee.
By the end of the tour, I was dumbfounded and cynical about the future – why had no progress been made, even after all that was done in Selma during the Civil Rights Movement to ensure that the city emerged from its repugnant past? After all of these years, there’s still so, so much progress to be made.
Upon returning to Selma Community Church, however, my mood changed. We spent time in the Freedom Café, talking with students that came to Selma to learn about the Civil Rights Movement and complete service projects for the Freedom Foundation during their spring breaks. Later, we learned about the Random Acts of Theatre Company, a program in Selma – now with branches in Atlanta, Denver, and Washington, D.C. – established to bring black and white students together in a positive environment, instill values, and inspire them to change the world for future generations.
Ultimately, it was encouraging to see that there are efforts being made to change the course of history – to transform not only Selma, but an entire nation that still feels the pangs of inequality in varying forms. In short, I’m hopeful because people are simply doing things; there are people that aren’t just lamenting the situation, but working tirelessly to find a solution.
Earlier today, we watched a video at the Lowndes Interpretive Center. The narrator told us that we absolutely must find a way to leave the world a better place than it was when we entered it. Selma may seem discouraging, but the people at the Freedom Foundation are showing us that that’s possible – the world can always be bettered. They’re showing us that it’s not enough to gawk at an issue from afar, but that we have to get our hands dirty doing the work that will make a difference. They’re showing us that we can make the world a better place.
So, yes, there’s plenty of progress to be made, but today, we saw that it is most certainly not an improbable feat.