It's Our Turn Now, by Sean Jones

Sean Jones, a UUSC intern (at left in photo), participated in the Civil Rights Journey.

It was my first time in the South. For some reason, my conception of the South before going didn't include cities, and cars. Imagine my surprise in seeing Atlanta and Birmingham. They looked like cities, and they felt like cities. But they were also different.

Going through Atlanta, Selma, Montgomery, and Birmingham, I was left with a lasting impression of community. Big or small, the people we met in each location appeared to have a sense of connectedness that I didn't know was missing from the North until I saw it for myself.

In Selma, it was particularly striking. We went to two museums that were built from the ground up, with no federal support. First, we went to the Slavery and Civil War Museum, where Sister Afreiya took us on a guided tour through the slave trade. Then, we went to the Civil Rights Museum, where Ms. Joanne Blande told us her moving story, and explained life in Selma during the civil rights movement. We learned of everything from the Middle Passage to Bloody Sunday. And all through the sheer force of will these people possessed in keeping the museums alive and thriving.

I was shocked to see just how many civil rights activists were not only still alive, but still doing things. Each person we met had a clear message: "We won't be here forever. It's your turn now."

And hearing Rev. Orange speak of his imprisonment and near-lynching, I couldn't help but put my life in context -- I am a 19-year-old college student who hasn't once been to jail and has, as yet, not risked my life for something I believed in. If there's one thing I'm sure of, it's that there's a long way left to go, and I sincerely hope we find the courage as a people to make it there.