Living History: A Journey Through the Civil Rights Movement

HIST 4900/FWRK 4900

Journey leaders: Dr. Kristen Tegtmeier ext. 1290, CC 25
Raymond Clothier ext. 1470, MH Annex 212
Don Fortenberry ext. 1205, SC 334
Sherryl Wilburn ext. 1200, SC 307

Introduction:

The Civil Rights Movement (hereafter CRM) changed the social and political culture of the South and shaped the nation as a whole in profound and important ways. The dismantling of de jure racial segregation and the assertion of equal civil and political rights for African Americans sent shock waves throughout the country but had a particularly intense impact on the South. The efforts of black and white citizens to develop, implement and sustain desegregation policies and assert black rights are nothing short of heroic. Men and women like Rosa Parks, Medgar Evers, and Fannie Lou Hamer and countless unnamed activists developed grass-roots resistance in communities throughout the South and created organizations that continue to have a lasting influence on social and political policy.

While many college students are familiar with the major players and events associated with the CRM, few of you have had the opportunity to explore the important historic sites where the movement took shape or to speak with citizens who contributed to the movement itself. It is our aim to provide you with the opportunity to study the movement by visiting these historic sites, talking with CRM participants, and reflecting upon the victories and shortcomings of this fight for social justice. Thus, we hope it will be both a geographical and intellectual journey, providing Millsaps students with the visual and analytical tools necessary to process the significance of the CRM from a new perspective. We also intend to explore the concept that the Civil Rights Movement is an “unfinished journey” whose ultimate success depends on the ability to recognize and understand the civil rights issues that currently face us. Racism and de facto segregation continue to vex not only southerners but Americans in general, and we hope that by revealing the history, we can lend insight into what needs to be done in the future.

Course Requirements:

Each student must read the required course material before arrival on campus, view documentary films the evening prior to the fieldtrip, participate in the six-day fieldtrip through Mississippi and Alabama, and reflect upon his/her experiences in a written journal and through nightly discussions.

The course will be credit/no credit and will count as one semester hour.

Readings and Course Material:

Text: D'Angelo, Raymond. The American Civil Rights Movement: Readings and Interpretation. McGraw-Hill/Dushkin; ISBN: 0072399872; (August 1, 2000)
Video: “Eyes on the Prize” (two volumes will be viewed the evening prior to departure)
Journal: each student will write at least one journal entry per day of the trip and one
longer entry that reflects upon the trip as a whole

Active Participation:

Active participation in all movie showings, historic site visits, and nightly discussion sessions is required of all students. Participation entails asking provocative questions, reflecting and commenting on the day’s events, and integrating the information from the reader and movies with the “public history” provided by the museums and guest speakers. This course will undoubtedly trigger some profound and intense emotional and intellectual responses; thus, be mindful of your comments and sensitive to the different views and opinions that your colleagues might express.

Tentative “Journey” Schedule:

Sunday, January 5, 2003
Arrive on campus
Watch “Eyes on the Prize” videos
Discuss expectations for the course and trip rules

Monday, January 6
Depart for the Delta
Meeting at Revels United Methodist Church
Meeting with Martha Campbell at Percy home
Dinner and overnight in Cleveland

Tuesday, January 7
Depart for Philadelphia
Visit Fannie Lou Hamer’s grave in Ruleville
Tour Mt. Zion church in Philadelphia
Possible meeting with Choctaw
Dinner and overnight in Philadelphia

Wednesday, January 8
Depart for Selma
Visit James Cheney’s grave in Meridian
National Voting Rights Museum in Selma
Edmund Pettis Bridge and MLK Street
Overnight in Selma

Thursday, January 9
Depart for Montgomery
Dexter Ave. King Memorial Baptist Church
Southern Poverty Law Center
Civil Rights Memorial
Overnight in Montgomery

Friday, January 10
Depart for Birmingham
Sixteenth Street Baptist Church
Civil Rights Institute
Kelly Ingram Park
Overnight in Birmingham

Saturday, January 11
Depart for Jackson
Visit Medgar Evers Home and important sites with Ed King=
Debriefing at Tougaloo