Spiders on Civil Rights Trail: Day 3
10/17/2024 | General, Academic Services, Spider Performance
Five Spider student-athletes have embarked upon a fall break tour of key civil rights sites throughout Alabama and Tennessee as a part of the Richmond Athletics Civic Engagement and Co-Curricular Programming. Kirby Mooney and George Washington III from men's basketball, Ava Milisits and Sydney Moore from soccer, and Jordan Jaffe from baseball will share their experiences with daily recaps on RichmondSpiders.com.
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Day Three: George Washington III and Kirby Mooney
After breakfast, we checked out of our hotel in Montgomery, Alabama, met our guide Ann, and headed to the EJI National Memorial for Peace and Justice. The beautiful memorial was built in honor of the over 4,000 individuals who were tortured, abused, and murdered on account of their race and deviation from the twisted social norms regarding race at the time. Formerly known as the National Lynching Memorial, the Memorial not only marked and remembered the names of those whose lives were taken and the counties that they took place in, but it also provided excuses for the extrajudicial killings later on in the memorial. The memorial gives power back to the stories of those who had their lives taken by an unjust system that has impacted so many in this country and focuses on acknowledging the past racial terrorism in an effort to focus on social justice work in America.
After our visit, we left Montgomery en route to Birmingham, Alabama. Upon arrival in Birmingham, we first visited the site of an attempted bombing and an important site of the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham,Temple Beth El. The Docents at Temple Beth El, a Jewish Synagogue, informed us of the series of attacks on Jewish institutions across the South, and how on April 28, 1958, a bag of dynamite was found in their building, but fortunately, the fuse stopped one minute short of detonating. This visit was an important reminder that fighting systems of oppression is a necessity for all, regardless of whether or not you are being persecuted. It is the responsibility of all who bear witness. At Temple Beth El, we read and heard stories of those who were members of the congregation during the Civil Rights Movement; they ranged from support of the inhumane segregation, to indifference, all the way to the reason for the attempted and failed bombing: solidarity. This visit was a great chance to see the way that communities responded to the Civil Rights Movement, as well as also seeing the support and importance of the Jewish community in fighting for the rights of all human beings.
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After we visited Temple Beth El, we met with Dr. Carolyn McKinstry at the Civil Rights Activist Committee/ Foot Soldiers office. Carolyn McKinstry was present at the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in 1963. She was at church working Sunday School with a few of her siblings and friends, but unfortunately, some of her friends were not able to make it out of the building on that day. She was only a young girl at the time, but Dr. McKinstry talks about how she remembers leaving the Sunday School office, walking 16 steps, and then the bomb went off. Dr. McKinstry, although mentioning that she has struggled thinking about her four friends who were lost that day, has since written a book, "While the World Watched," which we were all fortunate enough to be given signed copies. Hearing Dr. McKinstry talk about how the church bombing occurred on Sunday, and they were all in school at 8:00 AM on the next Monday, was really impactful. We could not imagine that no one spoke of the bombing, or the four girls who were lost that day. For Dr. McKinstry, her family, and friends during that time period, they had to keep moving and push forward.
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After our conversation with Dr. McKinstry, we visited the 16th Street Baptist Church. It was a beautiful church, with a brick exterior and large glass windows. We stood at the marker where the bomb detonated as our guide Ann told us more about the impact of the event. Next we stopped at the A.G. Gaston Motel, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stayed during the Civil Rights Movement when he was in town, which was right around the corner from the 16th Street Baptist Church. The motel was owned by A.G. Gaston, who was a very successful black businessman, a challenging accomplishment at the time. He used his wealth in order to assist with the Civil Rights Movement and provide assistance to MLK and many others. Our last visit on the walking tour was through Kelly Ingram Park. During the 1960s, this park was a common place for many protests during the movement. The park became very well known when police officers used police dogs and water hoses to attack peaceful protestors, and even children during The Children's Crusade of 1963.
Our final stop of the day was at the Historic Bethel Baptist Church. Here, we met with Dr. Martha Bouyer, where she talked about the history of the church and the actions that took place within it during the Civil Rights Movement. This is the church where the renowned Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth spoke and served as pastor. Rev. Shuttlesworth was known for his determination and his impactful speeches. Ms. Bouyer explained the story of how Rev. Shuttlesworth's house (directly next to the church) was bombed. The house was completely destroyed and neighbors thought there was 0% chance that Rev. Shuttlesworth and his family survived. However, heroically, Shuttlesworth and his family exited through the back door and made it out alive. The church is a symbol for resilience and courage of the Civil Rights era and a National Historic Landmark. Dr. Bouyer, a former teacher, has a goal of broadening the awareness of all who visit Birmingham, Alabama. As we sat inside the church, it was clear of her passion to spread knowledge surrounding the Civil Rights Movement. We were all very fortunate to see and learn about so many historic places, and buildings and hear very valuable stories about their significance to American history. To be able to learn from our guides and hear their first-hand stories has been quite memorable. Â
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