During spring break, Alternative Breaks (aB) sent students on 21 trips to varying locations from Nicaragua and Dominican Republic, to Georgia and California. Nine students went to Selma, Alabama, where Dr. Martin Luther King famously led civil rights activists from Selma to Montgomery in 1965. The week consisted of hard work and a history lesson for students.
The group participated in freedom rallies and volunteered with the Random Acts of Theater Company as well as at several local schools; they also attended nonviolence training sessions. The highlight of the trip was the 50th Anniversary Jubilee March, where students followed in the footsteps of Dr. King and civil rights leaders as they walked across the Edmund Pettus Bridge.
The images below contain reflections from the trip participants.
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Hayed Kure: “I’ve learned extensively about civil rights, but actually coming to Selma and participating first hand in the commemorative march made history come alive and allowed me to discover that the fight for equal rights is still happening today and we must take action.”
(L-R top row):Gerard Beauchamp, Kerian White, and Bria Anderson. (L-R bottom row): Gabriella “Stella” Russotti, Curtis Litwiller, Hayed Kure, and Lindsey Goldstein.
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Bria Anderson: “Jubilee Weekend was truly inspirational. All I could think about was my great-grandfather and the many obstacles that he had to overcome and the many metaphorical bridges that he had to cross. As tears began to swell in my eyes, I could only think of the impact that this will have on future generations. I can’t wait to return to Selma and complete this unfinished work”
(L-R): Bria Hope; Curtis Litwiller; Bria Anderson; Jesse Carter, daughter of aB host; Lindsey Goldstein, Gabriella “Stella” Russotti, Hayed Kure, Gerard Beauchamp and Gabrielle Robinson.
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Curtis Litwiller: “Every journey begins with the first step, for me that step was signing up to be the site leader for this alternative break trip to Selma, Alabama. The many steps after that showed me how powerful it is to believe in a cause. The doors to success will always be open. You just need to be brave enough to take the first step.”
(L-R top row): Bria Hope, Curtis Litwiller, Gerard Beauchamp, Bria Anderson. (L-R bottom row): Kerian White, Hayed Kure, Lindsey Goldstein, Gabriella “Stella” Russotti, Gabrielle Robinson.
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Gabriella “Stella” Russotti: “My dad texted me a picture of MLK and my great uncle participating in the original march in 1965 and now 50 years later I am able to continue in his footsteps and be a part of something bigger than myself.”
(L-R): Gabriella “Stella” Russotti, Kerian White, Curtis Litwiller
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Lindsey Goldstein: “I wasn’t alive to stand up for justice in 1965 but I am so glad I was able to be a part of the 50 year anniversary march and walk with this generation in the footsteps of history, honoring the past and building the future.”
(L-R): Bria Hope, Kerian White, Gabrielle Robinson, Curtis Litwiller, Gerard Beauchamp, Hayed Kure, Gabriella “Stella” Russotti, Bria Anderson, and Lindsey Goldstein.
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Gabrielle Robinson: “Learning about Selma’s historic past has been truly inspirational. There is a little bit of Selma in every town and we all have the power to stand up for justice in our own backyards.”
(L-R top row): aB host Clint Carter, Bria Hope, Lindsey Goldstein, Kerian White, Gabriella “Stella” Russotti, a student from Keith High School, Bria Anderson, Gerard Beauchamp, and Curtis Litwiller. (L-R bottom row): aB host David Carter, Hayed Kure, aB host Abbey Mattison, and Gabrielle Robinson.
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Gerard Beauchamp: “As we got to Selma, Alabama, it was as if time stood still and we were transported back to 1965. Participating in the commemorative march gave me a sense of purpose and a deep understanding of my role in the civil rights movement that is still happening today.”
(L-R top row): Curtis Litwiller, Hayed Kure, Kerian White, Bria Anderson, Gerard Beauchamp. (L-R bottom row): Lindsey Goldstein, Gabriella “Stella” Russotti.
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[…] aB Selma, Alabama: Footsteps of history […]
How do these marches make anything better? It seems they only divide.
they make things better because they influence change