Day 1: Travel Day
The group lands in Atlanta, Georgia, officially starting our adventure in the South!
Princeton K. ’28 and Whitney Suttell pose as we start our drive to Selma, Alabama, in the car lovingly known as the “Whitney Whip.”
The group gets its first taste of Southern food and culture at the finest dining in middle-of-nowhere Alabama: Cracker Barrel.
Day 2: Selma, Alabama
Scenes from our first stop in Selma, the National Voting Rights Museum, featuring history of the fight for voting rights, “Bloody Sunday” and the march from Selma to Montgomery, and the Civil Rights Movement.
This quote, “Education is the Key to Control Our Destiny,” painted outside of the National Voting Rights Museum, became a guiding star and central message to our purpose on this trip.
12s in the wild outside of Reflections Cafe, owned by a Lakeside alum who’s part of the effort to restore and revitalize Selma.
Mr. Carrington, one of the original Foot Soldiers (the peaceful protesters who took part in the 1965 voting rights marches in Selma), guides us on a tour of Selma. From sites such as the under-renovation Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church to an active Confederate graveyard, we saw the progress of today and the prevalence of racism that still exists in the U.S.
We end the day by walking the Edmund Pettus Bridge (called the John Lewis Memorial Bridge by many in the Selma community), soaking in the sunset on the Alabama River and the significance of the history that was made in this very spot during the three marches from Selma to Montgomery.
Day 3: Montgomery, Alabama
Easily one of the most impactful experiences of our trip, our first stop in Montgomery is The Legacy Museum. Taking us on a journey through slavery and its legacy, the museum features art, firsthand stories, immersive experiences, and exhibits rich in history that left a powerful impression on every one of us.
After a boat ride down the Alabama River, we visit the Freedom Monument Sculpture Park, reflecting afterwards in front of its culminating piece, the National Monument to Freedom, which features the names of over 100,000 formerly enslaved people recorded in the 1870 census.
On our last site visit of the day, we visit the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, dedicated to telling the story of the victims of racial terrorism. Over 4,400 names of lynching victims are remembered here, and walking through seemingly endless blocks of corten steel emphasizes the importance of taking the step to recognize the truth and learn from the terror of the violence committed against Black Americans.
Following a long and emotionally heavy day, we stop at Walmart for an exciting snack run with a designated budget of $20 per roommate pair. One group uses their $20 budget for an ice cream cake, which we demolish soon after.
Day 4: Birmingham, Alabama
Our Birmingham day starts with the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, a museum filled with artifacts, art, and creative exhibits that drew us into its history.
16th Street Baptist Church, a prominent centerpiece to the Black community during the Civil Rights Movement and the place where a racial hate bombing in 1963 took the lives of four young girls, amazes us with its beauty and strength in honoring its history and moving forward with grace and glory to God. Sitting in the pews brought the history we learned about in the classroom to life.
The group poses with a statue of Buc-ee the Beaver after a long-awaited and long-rallied-for trip to Buc-ee’s. Alongside other Buc-ee’s gear, we all bought matching “Ala-Buc-ee-Bama” shirts, modelled by Sarah H. ’26 and Ziyada A. ’27. Even Whitney has one!
Day 5: Atlanta, GA
In the birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr., the group visits the National Historical Park dedicated in his name, sitting front row in Ebenezer Baptist Church (King’s home church), exploring The King Center, and taking in our experiences in front of the Reflection Pool, Martin and Coretta Scott King’s final resting place.
After lots of culinary adventures on this trip, we enjoy lunch eating classic Southern comfort food such as catfish, fried green tomatoes, fried chicken, mac and cheese, and Sarah’s shrimp and grits.
We spend the late afternoon winding down and spending some time in Atlanta’s beautiful Centennial Olympic Park.
Day 6: Heading Home
The boys ponder as they prepare their order at The Varsity, an Atlanta institution. Long story short, their options include: burgers, bacon cheeseburgers, hot dogs, chili hot dogs, fries, and onion rings.
The Varsity serves as our last destination to finish off our incredible journey.
We arrive at the airport, getting ready to say goodbye to the South. We fly home back to Seattle with new knowledge, incredible experiences, close bonds, a little sleep deprivation, a lot of fried food in our system, and, most of all, a feeling of empowerment to come back and create change within our Lakeside community and beyond.
