Day 1 Greensboro, NC (Joanna Hadley-Evans)
End of Day One and we’re a little fatigued after our early departure this morning. Our group is getting to know one another and share experiences as we begin to retrace the footsteps of civil rights legends.
Today we visited the campus of North Carolina A & T to see a monument dedicated to Joseph McNeil, Franklin McCain, David Richmond, and Ezell Blair, Jr. These four black men were freshmen in college when their peaceful sit-in at the local Woolworth lunch counter prompted others to the same non-violent direct call to action.
My thoughts were drawn to my own high school years today. I participated in my school’s Multicultural Awareness Club in which I was one of three whites among several dozen black classmates. It was the first time in my life to experience feeling like I was in the minority. The first occurrence of my white privilege slapping me in the face, though at the time, I would have been unable to articulate its impact.
Our club traveled south one year, touring several black colleges, including A & T. Regretfully, I do not recall learning of these four civil rights legends during that visit, although I’m sure we were told.
I am grateful for this opportunity to retrace my, and more importantly, their steps.
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