A High School Trip That Changed a Life
“The knowledge I gained while participating in CRMI was life changing — so life changing that it motivated me to use my experience to help expose others to the history that they might not be so fortunate enough to engage with … the history that plays such a vital role in their lives today.” -Hafzat Akanni, 2016 Cohort
“I learned a lot of history in one week, more than I learned in all of my schooling.” –Mohamadou Mbaye, CRMI 2018 Cohort
“I have been teaching in Providence for 28 years and I have seen few programs with the impact of CRMI, the program changes how the students think about their school and their identity, it changes their intellectual focus…that my students and I are presented with this history is an essential gift.” –Jonathan Goodman, Hope High Teacher
“Throughout the workshops we learned about African American life during the early 20th century, the Civil Rights Movement and its legacy today. Starting with the death of Emmett Till we learned how his murder was a catalyst in the fight for equality and justice, as well as the struggle that continues today.” –Yaritza Jimenez, 2018 Cohort
“I initially thought that I was ready to go on this trip, but I was wrong. There was so much more for me to learn and experience, from meeting activists to being able to tell others my story. This trip had helped me realize that I’m a part of something bigger in this world…meeting the other kids on this trip also made me realize that the movement lives on through us.” –Errol Taylor, 2019 Cohort
“Today was my breaking point. I broke down crying in the middle of the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel, where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Everything that I saw and heard on this trip from museums, exhibits, and activists finally got to me. Today, I also better understood my identity. In the National Civil Rights Museum I saw that there were also enslaved Africans in the Caribbean. Since I’m also from the Dominican Republic, I realized that I am black too, my ancestors are black! I am very appreciative of this trip and I am going to take this experience with me for the rest of my life. Thank you.” –Deyreni Ferreras, 2017 Cohort
“I thought I would understand everything more clearly because I was familiar with the history after going through the six weeks of workshops. In the beginning I was still sort of in denial. The things I saw were horrendous, but they weren’t fully resonating with me and I was confused…I couldn’t come to terms with the history, all the while the proof was right in my face. Meeting Ambassador Andrew Young in Atlanta, Georgia was a pivotal moment for me. Seeing him in many photos and learning about him in the workshops was what made this history real. I was seeing someone from the Civil Rights Movement alive and breathing.” –Deliana Lora, 2019
“This January [2018] I had the opportunity to change my life. When I was faced with the option of becoming a part of this program [CRMI] I was reluctant to join. Growing up as an African American girl, I knew the basics of the movement and I wasn’t sure that I wanted to go any further… I didn’t want to confront the emotions that go hand in hand with learning your history. I knew it wasn’t a happy history and I knew that what I already had learned made me angry. The trip was life changing. Not because I got to fly on a plane or travel outside of New England for the first time, it was life changing because I got the chance to learn new things about myself. Everyday on the trip I was confronted with the fear that I was a coward. I listened to activists tell their stories, I watched movies on brave people who marched and died, I saw pictures forever capturing the pain people were willing to go through for their rights, and I wasn’t sure that I would have made the same decisions if I was in their positions. The irony I was faced with was that the only reason I live today is because they fought and died. By the end of the trip the turmoil inside of me was put to rest.” –Sara Jackson, 2018 Cohort
“Thank you for the opportunity to travel and for allowing me to learn about black history and civil rights. This trip was an eye opener and truly life changing. I discovered dark secrets and truths of our country and heard stories of activist I never would’ve expected to meet. I just want to thank you for allowing me to experience this trip. This trip inspires me to continue to learn about my past and the past of America.” –Jamie Hazard, 2019 Cohort
“The idea for this collection began at the Civil Rights Movement Initiative (CRMI) Lunch Talk held at Brown University. As a participant of this program I spoke about my experiences in the week-long Civil Rights Trip in January 2016. While on the Civil Rights Trip, I met many men and women who were involved in the Civil Rights Movement. Among these activists were Andrew Young, Catherine Burks-Brooks, and Sybil Hampton. In my paintings, each activist is depicted in two states of their lives, as a youthful novice and experienced veteran. In selecting these particular activists, only one of whom had a public career I want to create a more holistic perspective of the Civil Rights Movement. Each one suggests a range of involvement from standing strong at a charged educational environment to a civic minded politician. I want people to understand that the Civil Rights Movement is not over or something that just happened in the past and with this work I hope to encourage others to both dive into the history of the Civil Rights Movement and its legacy in addition to participating in the movement today.” –Jessica Dough, 2016 Cohort