Sharing Lessons About Social Justice
by Deborah Jacob
I took part in the Women’s Philanthropy Civil Rights Journey this past March. This unique mission allowed us to learn and experience what it was like to be involved in the movement back in the ‘60s. It was an intense and exciting four-day trip to Atlanta, Birmingham, Montgomery, and Selma. It was emotional, thought provoking, and fascinating.
One of the themes that stood out for me was the impact that the children had on the Civil Rights Movement. Because of this, I felt that it was extremely important to share my experiences about what I learned. When invited to come speak to my daughter’s third-grade class, I jumped at the opportunity.
My daughter attends a public school in Millburn/Short Hills. The children were working on a biography project and several of the students had read about Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. They were a great audience, attentive, curious, and opinionated!
I told the students about the places I visited, the significance of each place, and some of the trip highlights. I read them a story written by Joanne Blackmon Bland who, as a child, had been one of the marchers on the bridge in Selma. I described to the students what it was like to meet Joanne, get a tour around Selma (the town she lived in her entire life), and learn how she was part of a peaceful demonstration that turned violent.
Joanne’s is a story of struggle, loss, and triumph. She was a child when Martin Luther King Jr. marched from Selma to Montgomery. Her childhood is filled with stories of inequality, discrimination, segregation, and racism. I think the students identified with Joanne because of the personal nature of her story, and they were outraged by the injustice of her tale.
I talked about Rosa Parks and asked the students to imagine what it would be like to have been on her bus – to think about whether they would have moved seats if asked. I brought up the lunch counter protests and shared with them the experience of sitting at a simulated lunch counter at the Atlanta Center for Civil and Human Rights. I tried to highlight the inhumanity of the segregation laws. Several students were outraged. They were angry and they felt that they would not have been able to remain non-violent.
The students asked great questions and shared their feelings. I asked them to think about what they felt passionate about in their own lives and what they could do to make a difference. I reiterated that it was the children who made a difference at each point in the Civil Rights Movement, and how each of them could make an impact if they choose to do so.