The Road
Cindy Campbell:
While driving from Montgomery to Selma I kept looking out the bus windows. In Branch’s book he very vividly describes the scenery, with extreme frightful, haunting perfection. The trees, hanging over the long, hot, windy, road — where the unknown could harm you. The trees that could be your shade, your comfort from the heat, your protection from the elements, or in contrast, your lynch mob’s tool, your death, your coffin. I could never have “gotten” this element of the danger with out reading it in Branch and seeing it.This past spring fifteen of us from the Loyal School staff did a walk to raise money. I kept thinking while walking about those people who so were willing to risk their lives just for the chance to cast their votes. I can’t fathom the concept of walking and endangering myself. As we walked several of our students and parents drove by — honking, waving, cheering us on — the pride we felt for our school. Is this how they felt — pride or fear? I wonder, could I ever stand up and knowingly face the police, the angered crowds, they unknown in those trees and walk for change? Could I? Would I?
Montgomery Itself
Liz Bohl:
Gregg Jochimsen:
The confederate monument and confederate flag presentation within the capital. Alabama's old legislative building still sports the flag although they could vote or choose to have it removed. I felt our guide spent a bunch of time justifying why things were still done or displayed a certain way. I was also struck by the prominence of the portrait of George Wallace and his wife Lurlen's portrait and statues. Not sure if our guide from yesterday, Joanne Bland, would spend any time in the capital!
Laura Hartman:
The Parsonage Museum
Jason Pickering:
I stood in that house and my mind ran wild. Everything changes when you have a family and kids of your own. You think about history in a whole new way. What if Coretta or the baby would have been killed? Dr. King questioned himself only four days before the bombing in that very house and God talked to him. It was amazing to stand in the room that Dr. King had that conversation with God. He actually sat in that room and experienced a miracle. If they would have been hurt, could he have continued? Could he have still been nonviolent? He stopped a riot that was about to happen. So many what ifs.
Robert Piotrowski:
Martin Luther King Jr. prayed in this very kitchen to ask for God's help to guide him through challenging times in his future.After receiving another threatening phone call he prayed "Lord, I’m down here trying to do what’s right … But … I must confess … I’m losing my courage.” As Dr. King later stated that “I could hear an inner voice saying to me, ‘Martin Luther, stand up for truth. Stand up for justice. Stand up for righteousness.’” When Mrs. Cherry explained this story and pointed at me and asked me my name - the whole impact of that moment became crystal clear to me. It was hard to believe that a bomb did go off later in the front of the parsonage.
After I left the kitchen, it felt as if I had been on hallowed ground. I did not personally know the King family, but I could relate to his predicament since I am a father of three children and I want to do what is right. I am grateful that Dr. King didn't just have a degree in theology, he believed in what the Bible said, and that gave him the strength he needed to face of such oppression and opposition to his cause.
Tamara Schick:
I could visualize Coretta in the bedroom with the baby and Martin in the kitchen, really questioning whether his was on the right course or not. I believe he really did have a message from God.Michael Downie:
Opening the door that Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. opened everyday while he was pastor at Dexter Baptist Church in Montgomery, AL.
Miss Cherry
Liz Bohl:
Miss Cherry (our tour guide) told us her mantra, “I’m no better than anyone, and no one’s any better than I,” she talked about standing up a little taller because of the gains of the movement and Dr. King’s work. And Miss Cherry has had a very full and rich life with the pictures to prove it! This was a lot for me to process and I hope that I can find a way to truly convey the importance of it all. I also appreciated Miss Cherry’s stories about how Dr. King viewed this as a human issue, not necessarily just about race, I think this is an important point to make to help my students relate it to their own lives. Making things relevant to students is so important and often I think perhaps why kids feel as though history isn’t really interesting… It was re-energizing to listen to her discuss her profession. You could hear the enthusiasm and passion she has for teaching, and she obviously is great at is – as I was captivated throughout the tour. With all of the recent happening in Wisconsin education, I’ve felt a bit run-down and frankly overwhelmed. It is good to be reminded of the great aspects of teaching that haven’t changed.Cindy Campbell:
Shirley Cherry dramatically, passionately guided us throughout the home, telling not only the King family’s story, but also her own story. She was spirit filled. All through the tour, she very articulately, passionately explained with very crafted details, the story of God intervening and directing this extraordinary person who was a father, son, husband, teacher, minister, counselor and leader.Jake Boll:
I loved the insight she gave on MLK such as the four characteristics that he looks for in a wife. 1. Character 2. Personality 3. Beauty 4. Intelligence. But that wasn’t the only quote that stuck me. She talked about the feel of the movement and said, “If the spirit is dead than the body is dead just waiting to catch up.” Wow. Every time I heard someone or read something that said the “spirit of the movement” after that I thought about those words. Finally, she had a wonderful life lesson prepared for us when we entered the kitchen at the parsonage. She talked about the night MLK Jr. had his epiphany and truly made it a divine experience. She told his story, as well as her own when she says she believes that, “I ain’t no better than anyone but no one is better than I am.” If everyone believed what she does I truly think that this world would be a better place.Amy Lund:
Sometimes it’s not just what you see that moves you; it’s how it’s shared. Miss Cherry helped me see Dr. King, sitting at his table, trying to decide what the right path was.The King-Johns Garden for Reflection at the Parsonage
Deb Foster:
Laid out in a circle behind the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church Parsonage, the King-Johns Garden for Reflection invites visitors in to reflect on the principles of non-violence that fueled the Montgomery Bus Boycott and much of the Civil Rights Movement. Great emphasis has been placed upon the religious foundation upon which the movement was built. As we examine amendments, manifestos, and news reports of state-sponsored criminal actions, it is easy to forget the Beliefs and commitment of those who challenged the power structures that denied rights to African Americans.
The garden provided a quiet place to reflect and spend a moment to remember the people who willingly sacrificed to improve conditions for everyone. Practitioners of non-violence must have an inner-light that moves them to accept violence and degradation not only for themselves, but for those who do not have the inner strength to accept the violence and degradation themselves.
Alabama State Capitol
Eric Nelson:
This was a day of dichotomies. On one hand you had Miss. Cherry, who had so much to say and said it very quickly. She could not hold her truth in, not only about Martin Luther King but about challenges in our own lives. Our struggle to find meaning in our lives or to find faith in something that is greater than ourselves. I regretted that we did not have enough times to spend in that little kitchen. It was a very moving experience.Contrast that with the Alabama State Capital visit. Here is a place that clearly struggles with it demons of the past. Unable to let go of the past “glories” at the expense of other people, yet seemingly embarrassed to admit that they have not quite let go of the past. The result is a capital that functions as a museum, with a monument to a dead idea next to it, and a director left stammering trying to defend decisions that have been made.
Vincent Czahor:
The numbers of monuments at the Capital were disproportionately Confederate monuments or those that did not mention African Americans and all were created in previous eras in time, but it really only gives one history of the state. I think I counted three historical markers related to African Americans out of dozens of monuments, murals, portraits, markers, etc.. Two were on African American politicians during reconstruction and one was on the march from Selma to the Montgomery in 1965. It was shocking to me that they did not even try to be unbiased. While the Confederate Battle flag was not the top of the dome at the capital, it was on the biggest monument I have seen at a capital to date, a monument glorifying Confederate soldiers. I am surprised more people in that state are not upset with the one-sided history at the Alabama state capital.Michael Perri:
I have seen a lot of Capitols in my day, and the rotunda of this one had to rank right up there as one of the ugliest. Interesting how they explain the pictures of two of the Wallaces hanging there. George was the longest running Governor, and the Mrs. was there because she was the first woman. Sure — if you say so!Andrea Podpeskar:
Our guide did a great job at answering questions and explaining the history of the buildings. Her message of how society has changed, yet we can’t forget the past (why some monuments haven’t been changed or have bias) and learn from it.Bill Gill:
The fact that the Civil War monument memorializing the Confederacy was so prominently displayed may be ‘understood’ (strong word but at a loss for another more appropriate) in the light of the State’s history. Making the statement that the flag was now displayed here as part of the specific memorial made some sense (again at a loss for less awkward wording).But then the issues continued to mount. The murals in the dome were nearly all tributes in one way or another to the oppression of persons of color. The gift shop selling hats and t-shirts decorated with confederate battle flag was truly in poor taste. Just because there are fools that feel this is appropriate garb to wear does not mean the State should provide them. Why would they choose to dress and portray the Senate chamber as 1861? To say this is the day they had the most documentation about is a ridiculous reason. To have as many plaques commemorating the succession and confederate flag prominently placed within the law making chambers was highly questionable. All of these were insensitive and could have been handled differently…if your intent was not to have subtle oppression as your message.
The line was finally crossed when in front of the display of State flags so proudly discussed by the tour guide one may discover a statue in tribute to the State Police. In most states this would not be thought of twice. The state law enforcement plays an important role in protecting the community. In Alabama however this could not be seen in the same light. A monument of an unnamed officer holding the riot helmet and displaying the baton so iconic to Bloody Sunday in Selma can not be explained away. This same statue has as its headline motto “Duty Called.” It is difficult to fathom how the State could defend any of these decisions.
Susan Ruble:
Throughout the Alabama State Capitol were these beautiful walls ... they looked like they had been hand carved and painted. Was I in for a shock when the tour guide pointed out that it was just paint! The process, trompe l’oeil means “fool-the-eye” and it did fool my eyes. When I realized what I was seeing it seemed like the walls served as a metaphor for the entire building and the governments view on race and segregation. Throughout our readings, class discussions and our tours it seemed to me that those in charge wanted everyone to see the beauty on the outside and how they were honoring their heritage however, just like they did with the walls, they were covering up their racist and narrow minded views trying to fool the public into thinking that they were doing what was best for their state and its residents. I felt like I was being mocked by the government ... a pretty package on the outside and ugliness on the inside.
Tate Pagel-Haglund:
When do we learn the lessons that lead us to love or hate strangers? When we are children. The Montgomery State capital is a place teachers bring students to teach them about “their past.” But what is it they see there?A monument to the Confederacy built to immortalize that struggle in the time when Jim Crow laws were being passed and the changes of Reconstruction were being destroyed. On the opposing side there is a monument to a police force that was just as crucial in keeping citizens from their rights for decades. A bronze star at the top of the steps marks Jefferson Davis gave his inaugural speech, but no bronze star marks where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his speech just off the State House property. Inside are paintings made in the 1930s which depict the height of slavery as a “Golden age,” label the two pictures involving Native Americans as “hostile” and the lone picture of African Americans, shows them smiling and working as one of the “resources” of the state. The Confederate Flag is not on the roof, but it is still conspicuously displayed elsewhere.
I began my tour of the Alabama State House with an open mind. I wanted to see how close it came to a balanced depiction Alabama’s rich history. I expected to see a celebration of Alabama’s Confederate past alongside the changes of the last hundred years. I was disappointed. When adults are brought on this tour and ask questions the guide explains that these are depictions of how people felt at the different times they were made. They say this is not what the State of Alabama wants to communicate today. But to children on a tour, they do not think about the context of when things were made, they see permanence. They see Confederate soldiers aggrandized near the soldiers in the current wars. They see images that celebrate a wealthy white elite and marginalize all other groups. They see the governor who made his name fighting segregation forever immortalized alongside the most recent state leaders. All State sponsored museums and monuments tell a story. The story told by the Alabama State house to the young people who visit is that this state is — not just has been, is—a place where whites are valued and other groups — especially blacks — don’t matter. If this is the symbolic seat of power in the state, and the story of half the state’s population is not told here, it is not a seat of democracy. It is a temple to oppression.
Gary Giese:
I was on a modern Civil Rights overload and I saw this plaque. It dawned on me that, Wow this is it, this is where it all began, the Civil War. The mechanism of the southern political machine was right here. I had completely forgotten that Montgomery had been the first capital of the Confederate States of America. This started to put things in perspective. I have been to Gettysburg and Vicksburg but I have always viewed those places for the most part through a northern point of view. But here I was on the block were the confederate politicians’ gave the ok to open up on Fort Sumter in April of 1861.
Jeff Hauser:
The knightliest of the knightly race,Who since the days of old,
Have kept the lamp of Chivalry
Alight in hearts of gold.
These words are part of the Confederate monument immediately next to the Alabama state capitol building. To me they serve as a reminder of the old South and the old days of white supremacy. As a further reminder, the Confederate “Stars and Bars” also flies over that monument. So the people of Alabama can truthfully say that the flag of the Confederacy is not displayed atop the capitol.
Matt Prissel:
Clearly the confederacy and Alabama in the era of the Civil War and post Civil War is still important to them. The confederate monument, statue of Jefferson Davis, and the old senate room with the only flag being a confederate one are all examples of this historic connection. These choices are interesting to me since I would bet that not all of their state population embraces these images. Even though I don’t see Alabama seceding any time in the future, they still do hold that time in their history in high regard.Ann Hewitt:
To imply that the time of enslavement and brutality towards the African-Americans was the “Golden Period” of Alabama history shows an incredible lack of sensitivity and respect to all of her citizens, past, present, and future.
Heidi James:
Where is Abraham Lincoln? I walked around the capitol and saw pictures of George, both Washington and Wallace. But saw no picture or mention of the struggles of the past. Maybe I missed a little bit of something. But, I really did not see anything within the capitol that spoke of the struggle. The tour guide spoke of the gradual “transition.” Dr. Oberly made reference to WWII and how most that was “Nazi” was destroyed. There are good parts and bad parts to history and it seems like a slap in the face to those that are still alive. Who cares about the "transition"? It seemed like an excuse for babying old, white men.
Southern Poverty Law Center
Andrea Podpeskar:
Wes Grambo:
At the Civil Rights Memorial Center, I placed my daughter’s name on the Wall of Tolerance. From little on, she has been concerned with justice and next year she will be starting teaching. I know that justice and tolerance will be a major part of her classroom.Erin Lynnes:
1981. In the same year I was born a nineteen-year-old African American man named Michael Donald was kidnapped, beat and hung from a tree by KKK. 1981! I hadn't heard about Donald's murder until I read about it at the Civil Rights Memorial Center today in Montgomery, Alabama. The Southern Poverty Law Center erected "The March Continues" in this museum to memorialize Michael Donald and others like him who have been killed because of their color, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.Southern Poverty Law Center
Ian Jolley:
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