Final Reflections

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

                                                           Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Kaylie

The experiences that the 2019 Middle School Trip allowed me to gain, impacted my education and my life as a whole. The educational experiences that I encountered greatly strengthened my knowledge of the Civil Rights Movement. It was enriching to learn more about all of the contributions that the African American society and the pro-integration populations’ impact on the development of equal justice. Another reason that this trip will impact me for the rest of my life are the memories I made. Whether it was overcoming my fears such as the fear of our plane blowing up, or learning how to come out of my shell, I will be able to use this wonderful experience throughout my life.

Isabel

This trip has been a highlight of my year, not only did I learn more about topics that really interested me, but I also got to learn more about my friends and have a great time too! The most impactful thing we did on this trip was the EJI museum; the way they presented their exhibit was creative and innovative like no other museum we had gone to. The way they made connections between the past and its horrors and our modern prison system was enthralling. I am so glad I got to have this experience; this trip helped me discover how interested I am in the life of Rosa Parks before the bus boycott. It was so much fun to just talk and chill with my friends on the bus drive to Selma. Altogether not only has this trip been inspirational and educational, but it was also fun and social.

David,

This trip helped me spend more time with my friends. I think that there was a lot of fun stuff. My two favorite things on the trip are probably the Mississippi river cruise and Stone Mountain. The most impactful part of the trip was Joanne Bland and Wanda. Wanda was probably the nicest person I've ever met. She always wanted to give people hugs. Joanne was very strict and wanted everyone to call her ma'am. Her fried chicken was awesome. I didn't even think that I liked fried chicken.

Charlie-

I found the biggest take away to be the EJI Museum as well as the National Civil Rights Museum. Both of these taught me a lot about the movement and it helped me understand all of the civil rights by using their incredible exhibits. Both of the museums had a surplus of information in digestible forms. Especially the EJI where they had people create videos where they would talk about their experience in Atlanta’s most dangerous prison. An example of this is when one man was put into one of Atlanta’s prisons for possession of weed and then stabbed to the point where they had to go to the infirmary. A almost as large take away from the trip was myself becoming significantly more observant. I am not sure what did it but I seem to pay a lot more attention to everything going on around me. I was also able to visit many new states forever increasing my knowledge of the country and what has happened here. The bus rides between the destinations were also interesting with their fair share of highs and lows. Throughout the trip, I was able to learn a lot about the topics we went for, became more observant, and also learned how hard it is to be around for people for so long.

Harlan-

The biggest takeaway from the trip for me was Joanne Bland and her story.

She impacted me because she was really there when bloody Sunday was happening and participated in the march to Montgomery. Another part of the trip that impacted me was the Lorraine Motel when looked into Martin Luther King Jr.’s room where he was staying before he was assassinated. Stone Mountain was also a very fun part of the trip although the experience was negatively impacted quite a bit by the carving on the front of the mountain. In the end, I learned a lot about the civil rights movement and had a lot of fun and this was definitely one of the best parts about this year.m

Zhi-

The civil rights trip opened my eyes to the racism people used to face and still face to this day. People had to fight for rights that no human should fight for. The museums that we went to showed the struggle that entire groups of people had to fight for. The EJI museum really opened my eyes to the situation of mass incarceration. Black males and females have to deal with unfair sentences all the time. The Civil rights journey is never over. There will always be something to fix and fight for.

Lauren-

My experience on this trip was great! We went to so many historical places, as well as meeting a lot of amazing people, like Ms. Wanda at Dexter Ave. Baptist Church. She was so kind and taught me meaningful things. Then there was Joanne Bland, who was there at Bloody Sunday. She was alive during the voting rights march and participated in a lot of historical events. We also went to the  Lorraine Motel where MLK was assassinated. We saw the room where Martin Luther King was at the time. Overall, this trip was amazing.

Roya

The trip was very fun and interesting. We learned so many new things, and we were able to be in the places where so much of the Civil Rights movement happened. We met people who had a big influence on the Civil Rights movement.  We followed MLK’s life by starting at his birth home and tomb and going to the churches where he preached and ending at the Lorraine Motel where he was shot. We also learned about the lynchings that took place by going to the EJI Museum and memorial monument. It was very powerful, and I learned a lot.

Liesl

This trip was a very meaningful experience and impacted the way I view life and the world I live in. To me, the most moving places we visited were the EJI museum and the Lorraine Motel. The EJI showed a timeline of racial oppression in a way that was both immersive and comprehensive. It was incredibly saddening but extremely powerful at the same time. Visiting the Lorraine Motel was an experience I will never forget because it’s a place where history was altered forever. I couldn’t stop thinking about how the world might be different if Martin Luther King had not been assassinated. He made such an impact on society during the short life he had, who knows what he could’ve achieved if he had more time. The trip was an experience I will always remember because it allowed me to form and retain a deep understanding of the Civil Rights Movement.

Sophia

This trip was a very interesting and educational experience. I learned a lot that I didn't know while on the trip while having a good time as well. It was very powerful to be on the sites of some of the most important moments of the movement. Some of the places we were able to visit include the Dexter Ave Baptist Church, where Martin Luther King preached, MLK’s birthplace, and place where he was killed. It was also very interesting that we were able to follow the path of MLK’s life, starting at his birthplace on the first day, and on the last day ending where he was assassinated. Apart from the educational aspect of the trip, this was also a chance to strengthen existing bonds with friends, and also make some new friends. Overall, the trip was a once in a lifetime social and educational experience that I will always look back on positively.

Manu - I loved this trip because I learned so much from it. Not only did I learn a lot about the civil rights movement, but I strengthened and made so many friendships. I realized how much certain people really care about me even though we have been rough times. In addition to that, I also got to know some of my classmates that are out of my friend group better. Another reason that I thought this trip was powerful, was because I really felt the impact of standing in the footsteps of many of the people that shaped our country into what it is today. When we were touring Selma with Joanne Bland, she told each of us to pick up a rock from a certain area. Then she told us that we were holding the same rocks that John Lewis, along with other activists, once stood. I found this an extremely powerful part of this trip because it made me realize how amazing it was to be where people like Martin Luther King Jr. changed history. Another amazing memory that I made during this trip, was our visit to Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. There, we met a wonderful tour guide named Ms. Wanda. I would just like to thank her for lifting my spirits that day because, before we visited her I wasn’t my normal happy self. After listening to her story, I believed that she was living proof that every person on this earth has a purpose. I believe that the impact that Ms. Wanda makes on people is truly amazing. Many people have different things going on in their lives whether they are good or bad, but Wanda was someone who was able to spread her positive energy and I think that is an amazing thing. Overall, this trip was definitely one of the highlights of my eighth-grade year.

Dev : My biggest take away is from the Equal Justice Institute. I thought it was very powerful because of how many people were lynched. It was very sad because people were lynched for unfair reasons. I watched a documentary about a man shot over 2000 times and tortured. I learned that people today are still wrongly convicted and put in jail and then almost stabbed to death in jail.

Ana

This trip has been one of the most memorable and powerful experiences of my life. To be able to visit places where such important things transpired is incredibly powerful and moving. Not only did these events change our nation, but they also changed the entire world. Spending a week visiting museums dedicated to teaching justice and tolerance to the younger generation and following in the footsteps of civil rights leaders who changed the course of history and ensured equality would be available to everyone in the future, and discrimination on the basis of race, gender, or religion would no longer be the social norm was incredibly emotional and inspirational.  However, the most important thing I learned does not have to do with past events. The most important thing I learned is that the fight continues, and it is up to my generation to ensure that hate and violence will not be tolerated in this nation. Not now, and not ever again. No person will have to suffer the way that people did in the past. We will not stop fighting until every single person is treated with the same amount of respect. Because if one person is denied freedom, we are all denied freedom.

Eleanor

Although tiring, this trip was an interesting and educational experience. It allowed us to explore further into the Civil Rights movement than what we read in our textbooks. We ate some great food and spoke to interesting people. My favorite museum was the Equal Justice Initiative memorial and museum. The museum’s fine arts section and the beautiful memorial pay a meaningful tribute to those who lost their lives during the movement. Another favorite of mine was walking around Memphis. Its rich history in music and the Civil Rights movement allowed for the lively Beal Street and Stax Records. So while I never want to go on this trip again, I think it was a meaningful experience.

Ben: This trip was very fun and informative for me. It was fun to go on a trip with all of my classmates and learn about the Civil Rights movement, a time period not covered in the curriculum. Stone Mountain was very fun and running up the mountain was very interesting.  It was a huge challenge for me however, being a vegetarian in the south. I am glad I went through, as I was able to try an Impossible Burger at the Hard Rock Cafe which was great for me. The EJI Museum was also a very powerful place to be with all of its videos making it different from other museums. The format of the museum and stories portrayed were very powerful to me in a way the other museums weren’t.

Graham

The biggest takeaway I got from this trip was that no matter what situation you are in you can always come back. Miss Wanda was very inspirational and showed us we can do anything. Also, the EJI museum taught me a lot of important history. And the Lorraine hotel museum taught me and reminded me of all the things that we need to do and remember; there is still racism in this country and we need to remember that we need to help in the fight against it. Those are my biggest takeaways.

Elly

The biggest take away I got from the trip was at the Lorraine Motel, where MLK was killed. There was so much information there. Leah said someone could go there 5 days in a row and still not see everything. I think it was really cool how they let us see inside the hotel where he slept, and how they restored the front to make it look the same as if you were back in time. It was all very fascinating. It might have been the perfect last place that we visited on the trip.

Emet:

The biggest take away for me from this trip was the trip to the Dexter Av. Baptist Church. Our tour guide Ms. Wanda was a very kind and positive person. She was so filled with love and joy for everyone and about everything and spread that joy to the people around her. She was very deeply passionate about her job too, and seemed to really enjoy talking to us and giving a tour. She also was very embedded in her religion and trusted in God; seeing someone so passionate about something was uplifting. Ms. Wanda was by far the highlight of my trip and a very important part for almost everyone.

Georgia~ This trip was an experience I will remember for the rest of my life. Having the opportunity to travel around the South, visiting all these places where history was made and people stood up for what they believed in. This trip was extremely educational, in the fact that we learned about our country’s history and learned about our issues in the past and what not to do again. This trip was a time not only to learn, but it was also a great experience socially. I made a personal goal for myself at the beginning of the trip to branch out more and talk to different people. I found it was really easy to reach this goal. The more I am around this middle school class, the more I find that our class is so supportive and welcoming. I strengthened a lot of bonds on this trip, and I'm very grateful. I think my favorite part of the trip was just learning about the Civil Rights Movement. It's our history, even if it's hard to hear about, it happened in our country, and we need to accept and learn about it. My biggest take away was how surprising it felt to be standing in the places where our history was made. I really enjoyed this trip and all of the things I learned.

Rose: The trip was a very impactful experience for me because I never imagined how powerful it felt to be standing where history was made. It’s weird to think that without the Civil Rights Movement, we would have never advanced so greatly as a community. One of my favorite experiences there was the Dexter Ave Baptist Church because of our incredible tour guide, Miss Wanda. She expressed such joy and positivity while also teaching us about Martin Luther King Jr. We learned many things everywhere we went, both educational facts about the Civil Rights Movements and things about our middle school. This trip was a great experience for learning about this country’s history and bonding with our peers.

Ilana: For me, the trip had a good balance of education and fun. It was very impactful knowing that I was in all of these places that had so much history, and richness. Going to the South and seeing where it all happened made it seem more real to me. I enjoyed learning from the different tour guides we had and being able to meet people who actually experienced the Civil Rights movement. Overall this trip was an amazing opportunity, and I will remember it forever.

Hayden: The trip was a very powerful experience for me and all of my classmates. Being at the site of where all of these extremely important things happened, was very impactful, and almost felt like you were there at the making of it. Places like Stone Mountain and the Lorraine Motel had a sort of eerie aura to them. But other places, like the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church had quite the opposite effect. This trip was very much an experience I will remember for years to come.

Izzy: Throughout the trip, I was able to bond with friends as well as take in more information about the Civil Rights Movement. While we were on the trip we were able to walk in the footsteps of history makers and learn about the things that they went through for equality. People risked their lives for what they believed in; having the opportunity to learn more about what they endured was very eye-opening. This was a very work-filled trip but the bus and plane rides gave us the chance to manage our time as well as spend more time with friends. On the second day of the trip, we stopped at Dexter Ave. Baptist Church. This was one of my favorite places because we had a wonderful tour guide named Miss Wanda. Miss Wanda was genuinely the nicest person that I’ve ever met. She had a beautiful voice and she began singing as soon as she walked in the door. Miss Wanda has been through so many rough times in her life but she still made sure to share her bright personality and love with all of us.

Cameron: It’s hard to say what my biggest takeaway from the trip was because it was such an impactful experience in so many ways. Although, one of my favorite parts on our journey, like many others, was meeting Miss Wanda. Her positive energy was just something that always made you smile no matter what you were going through. You could tell she was truly happy and joyful, even though she's been through so much. This was only one memorable parts of the trip. Besides academics, this trip, throughout and because of, the ups and downs, brought the community together and made memories that I know will last far into the future.

Isabella: My biggest take away was the Stax museum and how many people didn't care about what color skin they were. They were just having fun and making music. I didn’t know they sang gospel music. There are so many records people made and so many different types of music. The musicians produced the blues, country, jazz, and gospel. My favorite type of music is gospel and how they sing what they are feeling.  

Zhi-

The Civil Rights trip opened my eyes to the racism people used to face and still face to this day. People had to fight for rights that no human should fight for. The museums that we went to showed the struggle that entire groups of people had to fight for. The EJI museum really opened my eyes to the situation of mass incarceration. Black males and females have to deal with unfair sentences all the time. The Civil rights journey is never over. There will always be something to fix, and fight for.

Bashir: Most trips that you have, there is going to be ups and downs but this trip was one big up. The social and educational part of this trip exceeded all of my expectations. I was able to strengthen current friendships an intense amount and got to create many new friendships. The educational part of the trip was excellent. I learned a lot more than what I would in the classroom and on top of that, I got to stand where those historic people stood. One place that really hit me was at the place where Dr. King gave his “Mountaintop speech. This was very powerful because we got to recite the last part of his speech where he gave it. Just spending a whole week with some of my favorite people that I consider family is the best thing in the world and I will always remember this trip and all it’s glory

Skyler

The biggest takeaway for this trip was learning about all of the hardships people had to endure to get freedom. This trip was a powerful experience because we were going to the places where these events took place. It was so much different from reading it off notes or something. I loved hanging out with my friends during the trip, and I made new friendships. I talked with people I didn't know as well, as well as people I already knew. I made new friendships and strengthened old ones. At one point, we met another school, which was really fun. There were a lot of museums, and I wish that we could have done some more things outside, but this was still a super fun trip.

Alison:

During this trip, I had a lot of fun! With all the museums we explored,  it was hard to tell which one was my favorite. The sites we went to were great, but I also thoroughly enjoyed my time during meals, on the bus and in my hotel room with my roommates. I had a really nice time bonding with my peers and learning more about them. I also got to learn a lot of things about myself, for example, I now know that even under a fast-paced trip such as this one, I can remain calm and organized with only a short amount of time to do so. I also learned that I can pack very light for longer trips such as these. I enjoy traveling very much, and this trip was a great opportunity to do so with my friends. I am very glad I was able to make it.