Today was an important day. Meeting with the freedom riders was the most amazing thing I've ever done. Hearing the stories from the actual people themselves was very inspiring. I was able to hear the stories from a different point of view besides the narrator's and text books. I was able to talk to Barbara Mines before we left for Selma and she said something that I will always remember.  She said “ I am passing the torch to you. I lit it and ran with it. You run and do something with it. Whatever you do, don't let the torch burn out.” This means a lot to me and it stuck out to me. I'm not exactly sure what this means but  when the time comes, I will understand it.

When we arrived at the Edmund Pettus bridge, I felt many feelings. Comfort, peace, and this feeling of demand. When I first started walking I had a neutral feeling but as I walked further and looked down at my feet, I felt peace. Knowing that my feet are taking the same steps on the exact side that Dr. King took built this peace and comfort. I imagined me walking with Martin Luther King and all the other protesters and seeing the police on the other side of the bridge, I felt like I was doing good. I loved the experience and would want to experience it again. During the reflection circle, I was really taking everything in. Someone said something that really had me thinking. “If you look back at that bridge, there was absolutely nobody behind you. It's up to you to do something”. This stuck out to me and brought tears to my eyes because it was true. There was no one behind us. Nobody to pickup where we left off. So if we start something we have to finish it because who knows what's next in life.

Kaijah Dawson, City Neighbors High School