Today we toured the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Rosa Parks Museum. It was very thought provoking to watch the video about the Civil Rights Movement and to then have the guide from SPLC talk to us about new legislation concerning unsolved Civil Rights Movement cases and the efforts that are being taken to bring justice to those that were murdered during this time period. She brought to our attention recent hate crimes and civil rights injustices that are still plaguing the United States. It was also stunning to see a small child adorned in full KKK dress and to see plaques in memory of people that were brutally murdered as late as 2001 and as close as Ft. Worth, Tx. In contrast, it was beautiful to see how well our group as integrated which was represented in the photos that we took near the memorial.
The Rosa Parks Museum went further in depth about the events and people involved in the Montgomery Bus Boycott. It was a glimpse into the lives of the African Americans' experience in Montgomery and how they nonviolently combatted their fears and oppressors. They fought back against unjust legislation, police brutality, and violence to laungh the Civil Rights Movement into full momentum. It was crazy to actually see police reports and complaints filed by citizens who had been hospitalized as a direct result of violence. To watch Rosa Parks being honored at Clinton's State of the Union address again was the perfect representation that small acts made by committed people can have huge impacts.
It was also a treat to watch the women perform their poetry in celebration of women's history. It was moving to hear their perspectives and see the emotion that is derived when they recall their past. It was dramatic to hear their fears and hopes surface with such grace and strength.
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