As far back as I can remember I have been interested in the history of slavery in our country, and how African-Americans lived their lives, similar to me and different than me. When I was younger I loved to read books about girls my age who grew up during the times when slavery dominated African-American lives all around the world, and even in our country. The stories fascinated me and I was always eager to learn more. As I got older this interest did not die out. I love learning about slavery and what our country was like before, during and after the Civil Rights Movement. Taking this trip following the Civil Rights Trail helped to bring everything that I have already learned about slavery and the rights of African-Americans into perspective. Not only did I learn about the diversity of the south, I also learned about the diversity of our campus and how everyone can get along despite the differences we may have. I have made some really great friends whom I would never have talked to just because we are a little different from each other. But because we did meet and spent a week together I have respect for them as individuals and fellow students of mine whom I pass everyday on campus. Coming back from this trip I feel like I have a better understanding as to what really happened during the movement. We were able to meet and talk to a few people such as Joanne Bland and Lonnie King who were both very active in the movement. Hearing their personal stories was so good because it made everything seem more realistic. And to walk and stand at the very same spot that such big events in history took place, such as Bloody Sunday, the Selma March and the place of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, was so moving. It truly made the movement come alive to me as I sit here so many years later after their great struggle.
In My Own Words: Katirose Flint
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