17th January 25
Year 12 and 13 students enjoyed a rich deeper learning experience in December, as they travelled to the United States to learn more about the country’s Civil Rights Movement and its legacy in contemporary America.
Along with teachers from our History and Politics department, the Sixth Form students journeyed from Alabama to Washington DC, visiting many prominent sites, cities and museums on the Civil Rights trail during the week-long trip.
They also had the opportunity to talk with and hear the stories of people with first-hand experience of the movement. These included the trip’s coach driver, Willie, a Vietnam vet whose grandparents were born into slavery in 1865; their Selma tour guide, Barbara Barge, who was 15 years old when Martin Luther King led the March across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in 1965; and Dr Alvin Edwards, the Pastor of Mount Zion First African Baptist Church, who spoke of his experiences of racism at high school.
Of their time with Ms. Barge and fellow activist JoAnne Bland, Year 12 student Markos said: “Their advice and encouragement about how we as young people can fight for justice was a trip highlight for me.”
“Learning about history through books and films is one thing, but hearing it through the words of the people involved was a truly unforgettable experience.”
You can read a selection of trip highlights from the students’ self-penned travel blog below.
“This is America’s first memorial dedicated to the legacy of black Americans whose lives were lost due to lynching between 1877 and 1950. It was a powerful and moving place, which showed the sheer number of those terrorised and portrayed the anguish, pain, strength and resilience that black Americans demonstrated.
“The main part of the memorial showed the names of more than 4,000 victims, and the circumstances behind their murder, engraved on steel boxes. Many engravings simply read “unknown”, which particularly impacted me. The fact that people lynched black individuals without even knowing who they were attacking so violently showed the extent of the racial violence.”
Lily, Year 13
“We began our third day with a visit to a graveyard, where we were surprised to find dozens of Confederate flags and a memorial to Nathan Bedford Forrest. He is known as a grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, the epitome of racist ideology and violence in the South. However, the plaque accompanying his memorial states that his memory is now “tainted” by accusations of violence against black Americans, and “rumours” of his involvement with the KKK.
“This manipulation of history undermines the brutal terror of Bedford Forrest’s legacy, blatantly ignoring the slaves who made his fortune, and the successive horrors he organised against black Americans in the South.
“We found ourselves perplexed by this plaque, and the sea of Confederate flags that surrounded it, indicating the continued presence of the Confederacy and a purposeful justification of racial violence.”
Rosalind and Sofia, Year 13
“Over a classic Southern BBQ, we had the honour of being joined by Ms. Bland, who told us her story. The attentive silence spoke to the power of her words as she guided us through her life; from the crowded jail cells she was forced into as a child, to her own experience on the Edmund Pettus Bridge and the later successful march.
“The atmosphere in the room was indescribable, and as we left for one final stop at Edmund Pettus Bridge, following the path Ms. Bland and so many others walked 59 years ago, there was an inspiration in every one of us to fight injustice whenever we see it.”
Rosalind and Sofia, Year 13
“Every one of us was inspired to fight injustice whenever we see it.”
“The most engaging installation was the sit-ins simulation. It attempted to recreate the wave of non-violent protests that followed the original Greensboro lunch counter sit-in by students in 1960. Young people were trained to sit in the segregated areas of restaurants and endure discriminative comments, throwing of food or physical abuse.
“As part of the simulation, you put on headphones and listened to similar comments that were screamed at participants of the sit-ins. This simulation brought the experience to life and showed how hard it would’ve been to face discrimination without retaliation.”
Cyrus, Year 13
“During a Sunday service, the church’s pastor, Dr Alvin Edwards, spoke about the prevalent injustice and racism that still lies at the heart of society, referencing the turbulent events and shocking events of summer 2017 (when white supremacists marched on Charlottesville). Something that stuck with me was that even when challenges seem impossible to overcome, one must face them.
“His message about confronting injustice and racism was a powerful one. He said that the way forward is to engage in dialogue and avoid pre-conceived judgments of a person based on race. We can only make real progress as a society by meeting people and seeing what they are like for ourselves.
“Later, over a lunch of fried chicken, green beans, rice and pasta alfredo, we all sang a song called We Shall Not Be Moved. We clapped along as we imagined we were on the streets, marching for freedom and rights. It was so powerful and meaningful.
“I had never experienced such kindness and generosity before. The whole congregation embraced us as if we were one of their own. Their actions served as a reminder that we must try to show small acts of kindness and generosity whenever we can.”
Xavier, Year 13
“We were embraced like one of their own; it reminded me that we must show kindness whenever we can.”
“On our final day, we met with Benji Hyer, a British journalist based in Washington, D.C.
“From the roof of his office we could see the White House and the Washington Monument. We talked about how Washington was built through slave labour and aligned with the South, and how – despite the abolition of Jim Crow and the progress made – we still see segregation throughout the city as a result of white flight and a lack of support for black communities.
“Benji also voiced his concerns about the increasing presence of fake news in the media – for example, the idea that Trump rigged the election. He talked about how the job of reporters is to challenge the narrative whilst using a neutral tone, so that viewers may form their own opinions.
“He also explained how increased use of TikTok and podcasts by political parties has significantly impacted young people’s votes, which he believed to be a large reason for Trump’s election victory.”
Django and Yannik, Year 12
“We finished our trip with a visit to the Lincoln Memorial, the site of many important events in American history, including Martin Luther King’s famous ‘I Have a Dream’ speech.
“On the steps, student Markos delivered a re-creation of the speech. It was brave and meaningful, and captured the essence of our experience: to put ourselves in the shoes of civil rights foot soldiers so that we can be allies and continue the struggle for human rights.”
Emma Sevitt, History teacher
See more from the Civil Rights trip by clicking through the images below