2005 Civil Rights Journey. Atlanta. Saturday, July 9.

Atlanta. Saturday, July 9.

All 61 of us have made it safely to Atlanta. From all across the United States, we have assembled, young and old, strangers to each other, to evoke the past. We will visit important civil rights sites and hear from extraordinary individuals who were involved in the struggle for justice in some way, shape, or form. We will have daily reflections and journaling, and time to share with one another.

After six days of journeying through Georgia and Alabama, we will return to Atlanta to translate our newfound inspiration into action by volunteering with the Georgia Citizens’ Coalition on Hunger. We will work on their organic farm and register people to vote in surrounding neighborhoods. The workcamp promises to be a unique and empowering experience grounded in the principles of human rights and social justice.

We cram into our motel's lone meeting room and take turns introducing ourselves and saying why we chose to make this journey. Some adults grew up amid Northern privilege, didn't talk about the Civil Rights Movement in their homes, didn't pay attention to it in the news, and now, 40 years later, are trying to redress that loss. Some of the youth feel short-changed by their textbooks, which cover Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, but little else with any depth. Some youth are here because their parents and religious educators recommended it.

Rev. Marti Keller, our trip chaplain, explains that this is journey is not merely physical -- it's an emotional journey, as well. The meeting adjourns and participants mingle. Today, we exchange names. By trip's end, we will exchange e-mail addresses.