The actual tour got started today with a lengthy trip to Greensboro, NC. It has been interesting observing our group and seeing everyone get warmed up to each other. I consider myself a people person and one of the things I enjoy the most is hearing the stories that so many different people have, or just the different perspectives that people have on the same events (i.e. the Civil Rights Movement). I think that’s one of the things I’ve enjoyed most so far, and look forward to: soaking up the thoughts, reactions, and reflections that my fellow tour members share. Speaking of fellow tour members, allow me to introduce our trip leader, Todd, and our awesome driver, Ron:
- Tour leader Todd and driver Ron
Along the way we viewed a couple of DVD’s, the first being a documentary about the music of the movement and how it helped to drive the people and give them hope. The second was about the Greensboro Four (Joseph McNeil, Franklin McCain, David Richmond, and Ezell Blair Jr.) and the sit-in movement that they helped to initiate. It helped to set the stage for our first couple of stops, the monument for the Four at North Carolina A&T and the International Civil Rights Center & Museum, located at the same F.W. Woolworth store that the Four went to.
Bernardo and the Four at A&T
- Woolworth’s a.k.a. the International Civil Rights Center & Museum
Overall it was a long but interesting day. The DVD’s and the museum definitely brought things into focus. The “Hall of Shame” exhibit and the remembrance wall made the sacrifices extremely vivid and stirred some thought. One entry on the wall mentioned a man who was shot and killed because the shooters mistook him for another man who was dating a white woman. A decade or two removed and that could have been my parents instead of someone else’s story I was looking at.
As I said before, stories like these are one of the reasons I believe this is going to be an excellent trip. There are only so many things that we learn in school or through the TV specials…dates, the usual leaders (who obviously have great significance), locations, etc. But getting a look at some of the people who were not in the spotlight but were just “normal” people helps to enhance my understanding and appreciation of the sacrifices that have been made.
-V