It has been 20 years since Nancy Murray, Pam Ellis and Bill Batson got the crazy idea to take 9 youth in two vans to the South to meet veterans of the Civil Rights Movement. It was before Mapquest allowed us to get around by GPS. It was before smart phones allowed young people to call home everyday. And there were a lot more Civil Rights veterans alive then.
While I was not there for the very first trip in 1993, I was able to go in 1994 and have a life changing experience. I met with people like Cesar Moore (RIP) who has lived nearly 100 years and had seen so many major changes in the country. I met people like Hollis Watkins who used his singing to motivate people to action. I visited the grave of sheroes like Fannie Lou Hamer who was unafraid in the face of vociferous racism.
This trip changed my life and I am really excited to be able to make sure that another generation of young people are able to experience the ongoing power of this crucial moment in American history.Over the next couple of weeks you will be able to read the reflections of the youth who are on this year's trip. We have raised the money for them to be able to experience this, and writing blog posts is part of the way they pay it forward. I hope that you will take the time to read their reflections. Feel free to submit questions or comments to them.
