Beloved Community Journey

We leave Saturday morning by charter from Carolina Friends, making the long drive to Birmingham but with periods of on-board programming.

At Kelly Ingram Park, we commemorate the children and other peaceful civil rights protestors attacked by Public Safety Commissioner Bull Connor's fire hoses and police attack dogs.

We see the 16th Street Baptist Church, where Addie May Collins, Carol Denise McNair, Carole Rosamond Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley--ages 11 to 14--died in a September 1963 white supremacist bombing. 

We walk across the street to explore the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. 

We enjoy lunch at the Pizitz Food Hall, in the landmark building that for decades housed the flagship department store of Jewish immigrant Louis Pizitz's regional retail empire.

At the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in the newly-renovated Carver Theatre (opened in 1935), we feel the beat of the music that played a role in civil rights struggles. [Unfortunately, the multi-year renovations haven't been finished in time for the Hall of Fame's scheduled April 2023 re-opening or our trip.]

At the Negro Southern League Museum, with the country's largest collection of original Negro League baseball artifacts, we learn the story of African-American baseball. 

And, having watched 4 Little Girls, Spike Lee's Academy Award-nominated 1997 documentary about that tragic Sunday morning, we hopefully visit with the sister of one of those little girls.

We drive to Selma, where we see important sites, including Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church, a center of community organizing.

We explore the Middle Passage (the transatlantic trade in enslaved peoples) in a visceral experience and then cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge, retracing the Bloody Sunday march of 1965 as we head to Alabama's capital.

In Montgomery we visit the the museum and Maya Lin-designed memorial at the Civil Rights Memorial Center of the Southern Poverty Law Center; walk to Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, which Dr. King pastored during the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott; see the spot at the Alabama State Capitol where Governor George C. Wallace delivered his infamous 1963 inauguration address vowing "segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever;" and contrast a statue there with the new Mothers of Gynecology sculpture a mile away.

We'll be in a hotel near the riverfront, historic sites, and downtown nightlife for the next two nights.

If our schedule allows, anyone interested can enjoy a home game of the minor league Montgomery Biscuits(!) versus the Pensacola Blue Wahoo in Riverwalk Stadium, a converted century-old train shed in walking distance from our hotel.

We ponder the weight of history at the powerful Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace and Justice.

Miss Deborah & Miss Erica take good care of us at Mama’s Sack Lunches (as they say, "be the reason someone believes in the goodness of people"). 

We learn about the work of Bryan Stevenson's Equal Justice Initiative on contemporary racial justice issues from child incarceration to the death penalty.

And, hopefully, we have some flexible time for participants to rest, wander the Riverfront, visit another museum (about the Freedom Riders, Rosa Parks, or Hank Williams), or otherwise choose their activity.

On the road again, we explore the heroic service of pioneering World War II pilots at Moton Field and the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site. 

We make a brief stop at Tuskegee University, founded by Booker T. Washington and now a National Historic Site, before continuing on to Atlanta.

We arrive in the afternoon for a visit to the Historic Ebenezer sanctuary (site of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s funeral), the tomb of Dr. and Mrs. King, and the museum at the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site.

We hope to be able to tour Friends School of Atlanta and to enjoy dinner with staff from the South Regional office of the American Friends Service Committee, the social justice arm of American Quakerism and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, and learn about the Atlanta Economic Justice Program and other efforts to address contemporary societal issues.

We worship at Ebenezer Baptist Church, founded in 1886, pastored for 44 years by the Reverend Martin Luther King, Sr., and now led by the Reverend Dr. Raphael G. Warnock, a gifted preacher.

We visit the Madam C.J. Walker's Beauty Shoppe and WERD, lifting up the stories of America's first female self-made millionaire and of WERD. the country's first Black-owned and operated radio station (1949).

From the "Sweet Auburn" community, we see historically Black institutions--Clark Atlanta, Morehouse, and Spelman--that comprise the Atlanta University Center, stopping at the statue of Martin Luther King, Jr. at his alma mater and meeting with one of Paul's undergraduate history professors whose research focuses on the Black Church, HBCUs, social and fraternal organizations, and other Black institutions.

We leave Atlanta and journey back to Durham, continuing our on-board programming and sharing reflections on the journey and our individual commitments moving forward.

We'll host a pre-trip potluck and informational meeting on Sunday 11 June.

We also hope interest warrants at least one post-trip potluck open to all travelers.

We're glad to include anyone at a distance via video-conferencing.

Apologies in advance for the heat and humidity of the Southern summer--we'll do our best to take good care of everyone!

Please note itinerary details are subject to change.

Look too for added information along the way about Alabama's Dreamland BBQ, the black-owned Atlanta restaurant opened in 1947, and some of the other distinctive local food experiences we'll enjoy.

In addition to our major stops outlined above, we'll also be pointing out (if not always visiting) other sites.

And, we'll have some evening opportunities for reflection and sharing.

Anthony returned to Carolina Friends in August 2009 as the first Director of Advancement, and in 2016 became the School's first Director of Extended Learning, which includes Summer Programs, Extended Day, after-school classes and music lessons, travel opportunities, and other enrichment options for students, adults, and families. He's also now helping launch and lead the School's Institute for Teaching and Learning.

He earned baccalaureate degrees magna cum laude in International Relations and in History and an Asian Studies Certificate at American University and then completed an M.A. in History and received Phi Beta Kappa honors at Emory University. 

Anthony has worked as a teacher (in subjects including U.S. history, government and politics, debate, and economics), college counselor, and advisor at Holland Hall School (Tulsa, Oklahoma), Raleigh Charter High School, Durham Academy, and CFS (2002-2005).

Much of his research and teaching has focused on the intersection of politics and culture--especially race--since World War II. An Arkansas native, he helped create and lead civil rights bus tours of the South for high school students and in 2016 and 2019 Durham civil rights experiences for CFS staff (with another coming in August 2023). He spent a May 2023 week helping lead 25 Middle Schoolers on a civil rights experience in Alabama and Mississippi.

Anthony has served in leadership and advisory roles for various professional organizations and non-profits, including Student U, Junior Leadership Durham, Youth Leadership Tulsa, Youth Services of Tulsa, GLSEN, Habitat for Humanity, and the Southern and National Associations for College Admission Counseling.

A CFS alum parent of two, he helped facilitate the Quaker Journey to northern England in 2018--a trip to be offered again in Summer 2024. 

Paul is the Assistant Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Raleigh's Ravenscroft School. He was most recently at Durham Academy (DA) as an Upper School history teacher, Upper School diversity coordinator, and JV boys basketball coach; he also served as the Interim Diversity, Equity, and Engagement Team Leader.

Previously, Paul taught history at Minneapolis College Prep and then the Breck School, where he co-developed a new ninth-grade world history curriculum, won a 2019 faculty grant for a study trip to Ghana, and delivered the 2020 faculty address for senior commencement.

Some of his most consistent work in the classroom has been developing an intentional discussion-based model for teaching history that centers the student experience and thought over memorization of facts. However, his work has always found him deeply involved in DEI efforts, including passionately building and shepherding Affinity Groups, in all of the schools he has served. Paul has also  supported teachers in diversifying their curriculum and students in developing inclusive programming.

He's led civil rights bus trips and HBCU tours of the South for students at both Breck and DA.

Paul has a B.A. in history with honors from Clark Atlanta University and earned an M.A.T. at the College of St. Scholastica (MN). This Minneapolis native now lives in Durham with his fabulous wife Nia and enjoys photography, basketball, and winding down with some good music or a great book. 

Here's what participants had to say the last time we had such a tour....

I’ve always been interested in the Civil Rights Movement, but there is no substitute for actually walking the Bloody Sunday bridge, standing on the corner where Rosa got on that bus, and visiting the church where Martin Luther King, Jr. grew up. It’s an experience that will change anybody’s life, no matter how much or how little you already know about the Movement. First-Grade Teacher

The past came alive for us, tears fell, and lives changed. I gained incredible knowledge…and made a commitment to work for justice, equality, and human rights in whatever ways I can. Everyone should take advantage of this transforming journey. Learning Specialist

This is a powerful trip that should be experienced by as many people as possible. High School Math Teacher

I now feel more authentic in my effort to join with others to do what my heart always wished to do. What a gift. Alumni Affairs Director

The $1,950 tuition includes:

• transportation via air-conditioned charter coach
• five nights of double-occupancy hotel lodging*
• all meals except a Birmingham lunch
• all admission fees and guest speaker honoraria
• on-board live and multi-media programming
• resource materials about tour destinations, civil rights history, contemporary social justice issues, and other relevant topics
• the services of two experienced historians as tour leaders

* individual rooms are available for a $525 supplement

The tuition does not include:

• optional evening or other activities (e.g. a Montgomery Biscuits baseball game)
• room service and other hotel incidentals
• alcohol with a meal
• trip/travel insurance

A $500 deposit will be due at the time of application and refundable if we reach capacity and can fill your space. We're glad to work with you on alternative payment arrangements.

We'd love to have you and a diverse group of participants "get on board" for this powerful personal and community journey. We have some tuition assistance funds available to support Carolina Friends staff members and possibly also educators in charter and traditional public schools as well as Quaker schools who couldn't afford to go otherwise.

If you're in a position to do so, a tax-deductible gift added to the overall tuition amount can increase our program funds and expand access for teachers. Thanks for your consideration!

We seek a balance of travelers, ages 18 and older, including:

• educators (from CFS, other Quaker and independent, traditional public, and charter schools and colleges and universities)
• alumni; former staff; current and former parents, grandparents, and trustees; and friends in the CFS community
• members of the Chapel Hill, Durham, Hillsborough, and other Friends meetings
• other curious adults

Applications received first will get priority consideration, but final and especially later decisions may take into account other factors (most notably balance among the participant groups above).

If you have questions about mobility demands or other tour particulars, please email Anthony at ExtendedLearning@cfsnc.org.

You can apply using this paper form OR online using this Google form.

Beloved Community Journey participants and other curious adults can join a Fall 2023 weekend immersion experience in Charlottesville, exploring historical and contemporary aspects of race through three themes...

• enslaved communities and three early presidents
• African-Americans and the University of Virginia 
• the Robert E. Lee statue and violent 2017 Unite the Right Rally of white supremacists

...at five historic sites...

• Monticello
• Montpelier
• Highland
• University of Virginia
• Market Street Park

Learn more about Racial Myth and Memory: A Charlottesville Case Study.

Beloved Community Journey participants and other curious adults can join a Spring 2024 weekend immersion experience in Wilmington, exploring historical and contemporary aspects of race through three themes...

• Gullah Geechee and other African-Americans in coastal Carolina 
• the 1898 Wilmington race massacre
• Black Lives Matter and other racial justice efforts

...at multiple historic sites...

• Poplar Grove Plantation
• Bellamy Mansion Museum of History and Design
• 1898 Monument and Memorial Park
• University of Virginia

Learn more about Racial Myth and Memory: A Wilmington Case Study.

Explore the history of Quakerism by retracing the 17th-century footsteps of George Fox, founder of the Religious Society of Friends--and of Margaret Fell, an early supporter and later his wife--through the beautiful Lake District of northern England.

And, find adventure, learning, and reflection in community. In addition to being a nourishing experience for us individually, the Journey is a wonderful way to deepen relationships and build a stronger sense of community among F/friends and Friends institutions.

Learn more about the Quaker Journey.

If you'd like us to keep you updated on this or other travel-learning opportunities, please complete this brief notification form. 

Depending on the response to the Beloved Community Journey and the Charlottesville and Wilmington weekend case studies, we'd love to offer a six-day trip to Charleston and Savannah.

Charleston

More enslaved Africans first set foot on land in Charleston than anywhere else in North America, and the interstate slave trade was just as significant there. It's no wonder John C. Calhoun and other South Carolina political figures resisted abolition at all costs and that the first shots of the Civil War came at Fort Sumter, in Charleston Harbor.

In June 2015 at Mother Emanuel AME, one of the South's oldest Black churches, the pastor and eight parishioners were gunned down during Scripture study by a young white supremacist. The church is on a street still named for Calhoun.

We'll build our visit around the International African American Museum (opening in 2023) and other important sites, from the McLeod Plantation Historic Site to the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture, housed in the Avery Normal School.

Savannah

Savannah is America's first planned city, and 22 of its 24 squares remain. The trans-Atlantic slave trade brought many African-Americans through its port, and many of them formed the unique Gullah Geechee culture of the coastal communities in Georgia and South Carolina.

The Pin Point Heritage Museum, located in an oyster and crab factory on the banks of the Moon River, shares the language, religion, foodways, and stories of this Gullah Geechee community, which occupies the largest African-American owned waterfront property on the East Coast.

Sapelo Island, a 20 minute ferry ride from the mainland, features a National Estuarine Research Reserve, the mansion once owned by North Carolina tobacco magnate R.J. Reynolds, Jr., and the Hog Hammock community, permanent home to about 70 full-time residents, many of whom are descended from the enslaved laborers of Sapelo's plantations. 

The First African Baptist Church (home of North America's oldest black congregation), the Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters Museum, the King-Tisdell Cottage, the African American Family Monument, and other sites give us insight into the rich African American history of Savannah. 

If you'd like us to keep you updated on this or other travel-learning opportunities, please complete this brief notification form. 

Depending on the response to the Beloved Community Journey, the Charlottesville and Wilmington weekend case studies, and the Coastal Journey, we'd love to offer a six-day trip to explore the connections between race and the rich musical history and traditions--blues, gospel, country, rock, and more--in Memphis and Mississippi.

We'll fly in and out of Memphis and use a comfortable charter bus during our stay. We'll also enjoy distinctive cuisine from local places like The Rendezvous, serving barbecue since 1948.

We'll search out live music (on Beale Street and beyond) and meet music historians and performers.

And, if we're lucky, we might be able to catch a special musical event (for example, Clarksdale's Birthplace of American Music Festival or Sunflower River Blues and Gospel Festival).

Memphis

We'll visit the legendary Sun Studio, Elvis' Graceland home, the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, the Memphis Rock and Soul Museum, the Blues Hall of Fame Museum, and the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel (where Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated).

Mississippi 

We'll:

• experience diverse musical genres at the GRAMMY Museum in Cleveland
• follow the Blues Trail, including stops at the
  • B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center in Indianola
  • Delta Blues Museum and Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk Art in Clarksdale
  • Gateway to the Blues Museum in Tunica
• cross the Mighty Mississippi into Arkansas for the Delta Cultural Center in Helena (home to radio's fabled King Biscuit Blues Time).

We'll also:

• learn about 14-year-old Emmett Till around Greenwood
• visit the Mound Bayou Museum in the country's oldest all-Black municipality, founded in 1887
• be inspired by the activism of the late Fannie Lou Hamer in Mound Bayou and her hometown of Ruleville.