Powerful Voices and Powerful Leaders

Today was MLK day. We were so fortunate to be in Birmingham at the Civil Rights Institute on what they said was the “busiest and most important day of the year” for them. Once in the museum, I heard this young girl, maybe 6 years old, talking to her parents. What she said, I won't soon forget: “Mommy that's not fair! Look! This is what the white person’s classroom looked like and this is the black person’s classroom! It's not fair!” I was really moved by what this girl said because it reminded me that ignorance and hatred is learned. I believe, thus, that it can be unlearned.

Further along into the museum, I noticed one quote that particularly upset me. The quote was, “Bombings were a common response to integration.” Seeing the words “common” and “Bombings” relating to one another made me feel sick. The thought that someone could bomb a group of people because of the amount of melanin in their skin highlighted for me how much hatred there was (and still is) in this country - much of which is based off of arbitrary qualities of people that cannot be changed.

Today, we were so fortunate to meet many Civil Rights activists, one of whom was Catherine Burks-Brooks. She said something that really intrigued me. She said “when you are not afraid of dying then you are free.” Later on in the evening during our sharing time, we talked a little bit about what she could have meant when she said this. The conversation evolved into our opinions about death and dying. It was very interesting hearing that some people would give their lives in pursuit of justice, while others want to be able to find a way to fight for justice and live to enjoy it. I really enjoyed hearing everyone's opinions because there is never a “right and wrong” when it comes to these types of discussions.

Towards the end of the sharing time, a trip member said that she was confused as to why none of the white people had shared at all. Someone then responded by saying that, being a white person, she was still trying to figure out the balance between giving your input but not overpowering the conversation because it isn't all about you. This resonated with me, and I kept the conversation going by saying that as a white person, it is hard to relate to the feeling of being discriminated against because of race because that never happens to me. However, I believe that I should try to speak up when I see racism, and not just try to keep the peace by saying nothing. 

Jack Kalvar, The Park School of Baltimore