If you're an early riser and reading this, I'll post just a bit on what's on the agenda for today.
After a fun night last night at the Harrier Ball, we got back to the hotel a little past 11:00 PM, and everyone crashed. A chance to sleep in this morning was a welcome respite from the hurried pace we've been keeping. Yesterday was a fun day, but it was long.
So today we'll leave around 10:30 and take the short drive to downtown Birmingham for a visit to the 16th Street Baptist Church, which was the site in September 1963 of a horrific KKK bombing of the building on a Sunday morning. Four little girls, three of whom shared the age of our freshmen on the trip, were killed in the blast.
Across the street from the church is Kelly Ingram Park. It was in this park that Bull Conner, the racist "Public Safety Commissioner" brought out the German Shepperds, the fire department with their hoses, the police with their billy clubs and gave orders to clear the park in any way possible. He arrested over 600 children in May of 1963, many of them teens, as King's strategy was to fill the jails with blacks who didn't have jobs to hold and mortgages to pay. The park now has a series of bronze statues placed throughout the park to commemorate those ugly times.
Following lunch, we'll make a stop at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, which from everything we've read and heard is an incredible place.
Then it's to the airport, and off for home.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Remember the Children
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Coach, I don't know how you manage it all: coordinating a cross-country trip with 30+ teenagers, visiting historic civil rights sites...and blogging along the way. Amazing! I'm certain you'll sleep well tonight, given the exhaustive schedule you've kept, but I want you to know that your hard work and dedication have not gone unnoticed. All of us appreciate you and the terrific MLK coaching staff. Well done!
ReplyDeleteWow your trip sounds like it was amazing, getting to visit a new place and learn about the historical events that took place there in that tragic time of segregation. In my opinion, this event is one of the most emotionally touching occurances that happened, because it involved children and racist things that people did to them even though they really didnt have a grasp of what was going on.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHey Coach Peters it seems like you and everyone else had a great time. It must have been fun to go and see all the historic monumants and learn about all the events that happened. It's still said to hear what people had to go through back then. It's extremely said that children had to go through the punishment that no one should have gone through. Segregation is a horrible past time for our country. It's only a good thing it doesn't play a big role in society today. The things that these people went through is horrific and what these men did to the three girls is just barabaric. To be able to see and get a first person view on what really happened must have been hard.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you guys learned a lot and had fun at the same time. You make it sound really interesting. It's really sad that children were treated this way. The KKK and just people in general had a really messed up mentality. Even though we are now an intagrated nation, there is still a lot of racism going on. A lot of us wouldnt be here if we weren't intagrated.
ReplyDeletedenise p.2
Coach,
ReplyDeletewhat you said about the park you and the XC team went to was Awesome! I thought it was awfully sad that those young girls were killed in such a way. I don't find that fair at all. I also thought it was ridiculous that the police force, fire men and public safety commissioner had to arrest all of those kids. What hasn't racism done? It's a little disappointing.
S. Smith Per 4
This Trip seemed so interesting, all the things the team got to learn was great. To know what the KKK did to those little girls is disturbing. Just like Ganhi, they should treat people they want to be treated. Just becasue your a different race doesn't make you any different as a person. And violent fighting doesn't solve anything. If they want to fight for what they believe it should be in a non-violent way. It's sad how the 600 children got arrested but it was Kings stradegy.
ReplyDeleteKeri Goldowski
Period 3
I think that the trip that the cross country team was able to seems like a wonderful and fun learning experience. It is fortunate that students from King High were able to experience this and were able to view bronze statues in remembrance for those who stuck up for civil rights. It is amazing how our country/society has went through rough turmoil. But the most unfortunate thing is that we suffer from segregation and racism today. However we must be thankful for those who have guided us through the segregation we have overcome today.
ReplyDeleteCoach I think the trip you guys took was great and im glad you guys did well. I also think it was wonderful that you guys got to learn so much about civil rights and segrigation. It was appalling to hear what had happend to those children but no matter what they stayed and stood for what they believed in. They did not fight back or start a riot but instead used nonviolent resistance, which King, Gandhi, and Thoreau all believed in and used, just in diffrent ways. They also used the governments own tool against them, they filled the jails so they would not have to pay for mortgage.
ReplyDeleteWoah, I can't believe that those kids were killed. The way they died seems so unethical to me. From this blog passage I believe that I got a little bit of a better insight on what actually happened in Birmingham. The park you talked about seems very intresting and one day I'd hope to vist a historical place such as the crosscountry team and you did.
ReplyDeleteK. Greeno, period 4
I truly wish I could have gone on the trip because from what it sounds it was a memorable experience. This blog page really stood out to me because i recently did a history project on the KKK and after doing the project i have learned that they attacked the people a lot. And the attacks did include innocent deaths most of the time. Its a sad story but these events did lead to the civil rights movement and so on. This blog also relates to MLK's "Letter from Birmingham City Hall" that i read in Lit dealing with his views on the segregation issues.
ReplyDeleteWhat an awsome and exciting trip to be able to experience. It is amazing how much the world and society has changed since back in the day. This event is not only sad, it is unbelievable. Why do children have to die in order for some people to get a wake up call. The KKK, fire hoses,and german shepards... their message wasn't only to prove a point it was to prove it with violence attached. I acknoledge the fact that you let teens, such as myself, experience brutal and depressing history that happened in a era that was important in more ways than one.
ReplyDelete-ladymo91 per.3
remember the children blog was a story i never heard before. i ws intresting i got me reading . in class we are learning many different stories back in the 1960's. one of the story's we have resently read was about martin luther king which i kno in his stoty there was know bombing but there was alot to do with racism and in this blog i see alot of racism going. such as arresting over 600 children and mostg of them being black.
ReplyDeleteHey Cach Peters. It sound like you guys had alot of fun learning about the churches and the bombing. It was also sad on how four little girls were killed in the blast. It was really because they were so young. It must be cool to have a bronze statue in the middle of the park so everyone can remember all the bad things that happened in Alabama and when they look at the statue they can calways give moment of silence for all the people that died. Well I appreciate for wat you did, cause now i learned some things about our history's life.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that alot of has changed from that time to this time. It looks like you guys had alot of fun learning about these events on your trip. King's strategy was the same as Ganhi's he always did things in a peaceful way. Even though they did have to sacrafice little of what they had to be able to get their rights and freedom from segragation. Times have really changed from back when King was dealing with segregation.
ReplyDeleteEric Tran
Period 3
So basically...i saw your guys's trip as a huge laearning/growing experience, and i really wish i could have been there to witness everyone's reactions and expressions towards everything they encountered. Especially the KKK bombing at the church. i feel that if i were there, i would have felt the fear of when it originally happened, and probablly even may have heard the screams of the terrified people running out of the church. my heart truely goes out to any of the people who had to go through such a tramatic experience.
ReplyDeleteCoach,
ReplyDeleteI cant belive that someone could do something so terrible to 4 innoceent teenagers. i believe that u and cross country had a great oppertunity to vist history and learn about our past! If people would have used nonviolence to get there points across everything would be more peacfull!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWow.What a great priviledge to be able to see how segregation had such an impact.Its just so sad that many children had to go threw such harsh circumstances.I cant even begin to wonder all the pain these young children went through.Still todays days racism still occurs,but all you can do is treat one another as you would like to be treated.Some day our world will be equal.
ReplyDeleteSarah.W Period 3
(Ashley Antonissen wrote this)
ReplyDeleteThis seems like this was an amazing trip, to learn about rights, and to stand up to what is just. Its amazing to here for poeple that have been in the place that many died, and pick up the feelings that many other felt. that when we read in the books its not the the same as as putting your slef in to the position of the people that were there and that its preety wonderful to get the views. I am insired of your trip. your trip from your blogs gave my new thoughts and beliefs on things.
thank you, Ashley Antonissen(3)