Rain, Rain, go away

We were pretty lucky on this trip with weather. Yes, it was very very hot on the day that we were in Selma, but it was remedied with some shade. Yesterday, our trip from Birmingham to Greenville--we weren't so lucky. It rained the whole way--so what should have been a 4 hour trip--was a 6 hour trip. After getting a late start anyway--our evening plans for Greenville were ruined. We were supposed to go to Cleveland Park and have a cookout. Instead, we ate at Subway on the road and arrived at our hotel around 11PM.

Before our long car ride yesterday, we spent the morning in Birmingham at the Civil Rights Institute. This museum is my favorite. The exhibits have tons of information that tell about the history of Birmingham and the rest of Alabama and how they contributed to the National Civil Rights movement. Birmingham's role was very significant because of its police commissioner and his harsh treatment (dogs, fire hoses) would make national news and help legislators and the rest of the country know the horrors of Jim Crow laws. The exhibits were also easy to understand and most of them were 3-D displays. The use of multi-media made it a favorite for some of the kids as well.

This is the last blog entry. I just wanted to let you all know how much I love your kids. They are inquisitive, playful, respectful, and just all around fun to be around. I could not think of a better group to spend my last official CFS trip with. This experience has been amazing.

What your kids will need when they get home:
*sleep
*a good non-on-the-road meal with vegetables
*a conversation about what they have learned

In that conversation please ask specific questions like:

*What happened at the 16th Street Baptist Church in 1963?

*Who was Jimmie Lee Jackson?

*What happened on Bloody Sunday?

*Why was the death of Emmet Till so significant?

*Who did you find out about in the Civil Rights Institute in Birmingham?

*Was the Woolworth Sit-In in Greensboro the first sit-in?

*Where was the "Black Wall Street" in the early 20th century?

*Who were the Freedom Riders?

*How many times did it take before the people of Selma were able to make it all the way to Montgomery in 1965?

Thank you for letting me borrow your kids for the week. And thanks to our wonderful leaders on the trip--Halima Davis who braved driving almost half-way across the country! Wesley Murray and Megan Clinton--Upper School student and CFS alum. And thanks to Renee for helping us find the money to fund this trip and for her presence in Alabama.

Now--I'm giving your kids back. As much as I enjoy them, I must say I will be happy to be in my own bed tonight.

Toni Graves Williamson

Sent from my iPad