Ten Minutes in the Dark

Shayla Reid of the UUSC Programs Department recently took part in the third annual Civil Rights Journey.


An intergenerational group of participants that ranged from the ages of 14 to 79 took part in an eight day Civil Rights Journey that was hosted by UUSC. The group of 34 people, two-thirds of whom were young adults from the inner-city areas of Boston, Mass., and Brooklyn, N.Y., visited southern cities, met influential social activists, and learned about the social injustices that people during the 1960s endured during their struggle for equality.

For me, the most remarkable part of the experience was watching the positive interaction between the inner-city youth and the older adults. They were able to learn from one another's personal life experiences, create friendships, and overlook the color of one another's skin. Throughout the journey, we were reminded that during the 1960s the group would have been segregated, but the fight of many activists allowed us to join in unity and peace.

Throughout our journey, we had the opportunity to visit many historical sites and meet many influential people. Although I felt all the sites were important, one in particular stands out for me. In Selma, we had the opportunity to visit the Slavery and Civil War Museum.

Upon arrival at the museum the participants and myself boarded a reenactment of a slave ship that took us to America, "the promised land." As I sat on the ship, many emotions such as fear and confusion overwhelmed me, but I felt a feeling of security due to knowing the people around me. I soon realized that any feelings of hope or security I had would vanish.

We were separated from our friends, called derogatory names, and forced into a small, dark room. In this room, I heard the voices of children yearning for their parents, which they too were separated from. I heard the voices of women crying to go home. I heard the laughter of men calling us "boys and gals."

After spending ten minutes in the dark, hearing unfamiliar voices, and being grabbed, the lights came on. As I stood in my designated spot, I looked upon the familiar faces of my fellow participants. In most eyes were tears, in some were fear, but everyone was astonished. Being an African-American woman, I felt as if I had relived the history of my ancestors. All the books I have ever read, or the narrative stories I have heard, could not have prepared me for the real life experience I encountered on the Civil Rights Journey.