CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
ALABAMA

Dates: January 9-20, 2012

Cost: $1,050 (Subject to change)
Cost includes all transportation from Gettysburg campus to and from project sites, accommodations, meals (except those during travel), and project supplies.

Apply:
Registration, Student Leader & Financial Awards Applications

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Overview:
Alabama has a long and strong history for Civil Rights. In 1955, Montgomery was the focus of the nation as the African-American community staged a year-long bus boycott to end segregation of public transportation. Out of this struggle emerged a national leader for the African-American community, The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In March 1965, in the pursuit of voting rights, marchers attempting to march from Selma to Montgomery were beaten and gassed on the Edmund Pettus Bridge by police officers and National Guardsmen. Life was a constant struggle for African-Americans to survive in sub-poverty conditions and segregated communities. For many, it would mean sacrificing the roof over their heads, the food on their tables, and the few coins for their labors. For others, it would mean their lives.

Trip Aims:

This project provides participants the opportunities to experience Civil Rights past and present. Alabama today is a stark example that the fight for civil rights has not been won. The era of Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks was known for its struggle for political, social, and educational rights. Great gains were made, but inequalities still persist in the form of economic rights. This has become a central concern for today's civil rights movement. You will witness the economic injustice first hand -- Birmingham, Tuskegee, Montgomery, Selma, and White Hall. Explore the current state of civil rights -- you will be forever changed!