Tennessee & Alabama

This page is dedicated to the Tennessee & Alabama trip that will focus on social limitations and situational inequalities in the heart of America. CLICK PICTURES TO ENLARGE


Friday 23rd, 2012

Well we all made back to Oshkosh safe and sound! It was a great trip and I hope this blog portrayed just how much fun it really was.








Thursday 22nd, 2012

Wow, what a day. Today we visited Selma, Alabama where our trip reached its peak, being the most emotional and inspirational day yet. We had the amazing privilege of meeting Joanne Bland who lived  the abominations of segregation and who marched on “Bloody Sunday”.





Regardless of the rain, we walked across the Edmund Pettus Bridge where in 1965 a march for voting rights from Selma to Montgomery was attacked by law enforcement using tear gas and nightsticks on the peaceful protestors.

Hearing her stories about the horrors she and others experienced during their lifetimes was a sobering, emotional experience. But what really resonated with many of us was how motivational and optimistic she is; telling that each and every one of us can change the world through passion and devotion. Words cannot express how many of us felt during our day with her so trying to explain it through this blog would be futile. I will never forget the way I felt in Selma, Alabama today and I’m positive everyone else will not either.

“You are the one”

-Joanne Bland

 Wednesday 21th, 2012

Today was the last volunteering day at AIDS Alabama where we picked up garbage, cleaned vans and did some basic landscaping.   

 

 We spent the majority of the day at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute museum which was another great experience that explained events more specific to Birmingham. Many of us were in awe of how protestors were attacked by vicious police dogs and hosed down by fire hoses when they were protesting for their rights.

 

 

Across the street from the museum we visited Kelly Ingram Park where the oppression from the Commissioner of Public Safety Eugene “Bull” Connor was enforced.  We crossed the street to the 16^th Street Baptist Church which was bombed in 1963 killing four young girls. This was a major event during the Civil Rights Movement when the news of innocent children becoming victims made people nationwide furious and revealed to the world the horrors of segregation.

 

Around 6:30 p.m. we went to the world’s largest cast iron statue which is 56ft. tall. We had a lot of fun and some of us (cough cough me) had to fight the heights! Tomorrow we’re headed to Selma for the day to meet Joan Bland which we’re all excited about!  

 

 

Tuesday 20th, 2012

This morning we went to AIDS Alabama which is a Non-Profit Organization that focuses its resources and energies statewide by helping individuals with HIV/AIDS live healthy, independent lives and strive to stop the spread of HIV. We met very passionate individuals who warmly welcomed us. It was inspiring to see how motivated and devoted they were in helping others by providing housing for those in need and educating the public on HIV/AIDS.

 

                                                    Alabama Banana!

For lunch we walked to Carlisle’s BBQ restaurant which was superb. This was a great spot where we enjoyed true southern food such as fried okra, collard greens and hushpuppies. After lunch we thoroughly cleaned a facility on the AIDS Alabama housing campus along with two of their vans. Our instructors from AIDS Alabama were awesome people who were grateful for our service. Tomorrow we’ll be returning the AIDS Alabama housing campus to do more cleaning, landscaping etc.

Monday 19th, 2012

I just want to start out saying today was an incredible day. We started it off volunteering at MIFA (Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association) delivering meals to those in need. Simply spending five minutes or sometimes longer to talk with those individuals in their homes was a great experience seeing how delighted and thankful they were for our service. 

Unfortunately our house painting fell through, but Brian and I proposed going to Bishop Charles Mason Temple Church of God which turned out to be a phenomenal experience.

This church was where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech which he gave on April 3, 1968. That was the last speech he ever gave with his untimely death coming just the next day.

 

As stated by many of us, the silence within the massive church spoke brilliantly to everyone individually, allowing us to reflect on the importance of this place and the entire movement as a whole.

 

         

We departed Memphis around 3:00 p.m. to Birmingham, Alabama where we’ll be volunteering at AIDS Alabama tomorrow.  

  

Sunday 18th, 2012

Howdy ya’ll!! Well we’re finally here in Memphis on the second night. I apologize to all of you subscribers to this fine blog; I won’t have you wait like that anymore, trust me (the first hotel didn’t have wifi or towels…) Anyway, glad to have you! Today we started off with mass at Kirby Woods Baptist Church where we were warmly introduced by the pastor and many other kind individuals. Afterwards we wasted no time and had a little site seeing on Beal Street.

The main focus today was our trip to the National Civil Rights Museum. We had an audio guided tour that explained the progression of human equality and the growth of the Civil Rights movement. As many of us stated afterwards, seeing the balcony where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated was truly a humbling experience that resonated in all of us. For dinner we enjoyed Hard Rock Cafe and later enjoyed downtime where most of us spent exploring more of Beal Street. Overall, today was a brilliant day that allowed us to learn so much about such a vital part of our American history.

 Join us here next time ladies and gentleman as our expedition endures!

 March 8th, 2012

 

Hello!! My name is Mark O’Malley and I have the great privilege of informing you all about our awesome Alternative Spring Break trip to Tennessee and Alabama! This trip will be focusing on social inequalities in America and serves as an educational experience about the Civil Rights Movement. Our first stop is Memphis where we will be visiting the National Civil Rights Museum followed by a journey to Birmingham to volunteer at MIFA and AIDS Alabama.

 Next, our trip will take us to Selma where we’ll be meeting with Joan Bland along with volunteering at the Nashville Rescue Mission. That’s just a very brief overview of the many exciting and interesting events planned. I can’t wait to blog more about our time as spring break gets closer and I truly hope this blog will make it seem as though you’re here with us!!!