The two places we visited in Montgomery were The Legacy Museum and The National Memorial for Peace and Justice. What I learned from these two locations left me in amazement and utter frustration and disappointment in our country. Reading the accounts of inmates on death row was most impactful for me. A specific one that stuck out to me was a fifteen-year-old boy being sentenced to death in prison, and hugging is mother in the courtroom for the last time. Seeing the picture of the boy’s face soaked in tears and his mother holding him broke my heart because it made me think about myself and my mother.”
dAY 1:
Students left Fredericksburg, VA to head to Montgomery, Alabama to visit the Legacy Museum, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, and the Equal Justice Initiative.
Day 2:
First stop of the day was in Montgomery, Alabama. Students and staff visited the Legacy Museum. The next stop was at the National Memorial for Peace and Justice. The last two stops were at the Equal Justice Initiative headquarters and the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church.
Day 3:
The trip ended in Selma, Alabama, where students and staff walked across the iconic Edmund Pettus Bridge.
The Social Justice Fall Break Field Trip has truly impacted my life. The Legacy Museum has revealed to me how slavery in the United States has not ended but has shifted and evolved through the mass incarceration of black people and other minority groups. Slavery has also metamorphosed into the hindering of minorities to climb the social, political, and economic ladder by denying people equal access to healthy foods, healthcare, political representation, job opportunities, equal housing, quality education, and much more.”
Watch our life changing journey !
When asked ‘What is one word to describe what you hope to get out of this experience? I replied, ‘A revelation’…’ In simpler words, I believe that I left the UMW Bell Tower with broad beliefs and came back from Alabama with a new sense of self and purpose.”
Read the story...
Learn more about the Freedom Ride trip by looking at this article written about the trip and the experience of the participants.
UMW Article
Our Photo Archive
The best way to experience our trip is through the wide collection of our pictures documenting our journey across the country !
