Reflections from our February 2023 trip to Alabama

The four of us traveled to Montogmery and Selma and honored Stacia Robinson's appointment to the cabinet level postion of Director, Governor's Office Minority Affairs & Economic Development. My three guests shared their reflections.

Lawrese Brown

I left Montgomery, Alabama on Sunday, February 26th thinking…

Black people were given symbolic rights with the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments, but  no ability to protect their rights in America's legal or government systems.  They were intentionally tried by all-white juries, they were threatened when they went to vote and lynched for any act that was deemed offensive by a white person. What good is a right if there's no recourse when its violated?

I then asked myself while exiting my Uber to head into the airport…

What can I do to ensure people's rights are protected?

Here’s how I got to that question. 

My intention in visiting Montgomery, Alabama was simply to be present. To be undistracted and open to learning more about the stories and experiences that shaped the American Civil Rights Movement.

The three day trip was packed with mind-expanding experiences, and upon arrival I could immediately feel the weight of the town's slave history….how the slaves only traveled underground, how the slave auctions would take place at the circle, and the same buildings that existed were once warehouses that were used to house slaves.

Meeting with Kim Smith and the group of young women from Alabama State University, reminded me of the importance of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Michelle Browder’s tour around Montgomery and her artwork depicting the three mothers of gynecology was a reminder of how slaves literally contributed their bodies to advance our medical science.

Witnessing history in the making is the only way to describe celebrating Stacia Robinson as the leader of Alabama’s Office of Minority Affairs.

The depth of detail that went into every aspect of the Legacy Museum - was overwhelming. I knew these stories, but the visual supports and technology gave a life and lived experience to these stories. It wasn’t just words on a page - it was a visceral walk down the memory lane of the Black experience in America - from slavery, to lynching, to segregation, to mass incarceration. 

I was unsurprisingly heartbroken by the time I arrived at the section covering segregation. My body language was tight and I walked through the remainder of the museum with my arms crossed, eager to exit. I sat outside by the monument in the garden, and was overcome with a strange and frightening feeling that my life was about to change - because my life's work had to change. 

I am still integrating all that I learned from my visit to Montgomery and Selma, and I don’t yet have a full answer to my question “What can I do to ensure people's rights are protected?” Still what I know for sure is that my work in education must expand to focus on citizenship and justice - because there is no right without the ability to practice it openly and to protect it vehemently. 
 

Dr. Joynicole Martinez

There are moments in life that are written across our hearts with indelible ink and we can choose to view them as scars or something not quite beautiful. Or, we can choose to embrace the permanence of those moments and memories as a part of our makeup and our unique decoration. This is the path I’ve chosen, to embrace every moment in Alabama as gilding - even when my feelings made the moment feel painful. 

I had two major things I expected or desired as outcomes: I wanted to make real connections with women who are like-minded and invite them into deeper conversation around moving innovative projects forward that shift power and open knowledge - and to have a set of goals around touchpoint over 9 months that I could hold myself accountable to. I wanted to confront my own lack of knowledge around the area - especially Selma - which is a name not spoken without the heaviness of history. 

Notes:

It’s hard to hold space around strategy and project mapping while still reeling from confronting the history of oppression and injustice in the area.  Hard, but possible if you can let go of the bitterness of history in your mind and body while embracing its lessons. 

“The Mothers” - I feel like I could talk all night and day about the power of the storytelling, beautiful art, and the deliberate recovery of spaces and places. The doctor in me feels shame, but the Black woman I am feels empowered to truth tell and support the work of recovery of the land and the story. 

The women in Alabama are ready to push forward efforts to expand access to knowledge, training, supportive dollars and do it in creative ways! The energy in space at the table I dined at was open and collaborative. I don’t want to lose the energy by letting too much time go by without checking in. 

The museum was amazing! The curation followed a storyline and progression that made me feel I was literally walking through history. It was awe inspiring in its attention to detail, use of multiple sensory inputs at a time, and presentation of knowledge. I felt I couldn’t take in all the information being presented to me, but I didn’t want to lose one point being made, one truth being shared because it is so important. This was my 1st beautiful scar moment, because the most horrifying information is presented in a beautiful way, but it exposes ugly truths and deep scars.

Charlotte’s intentionality in planning an experience that was fluid - each experience built upon the next - was on full display! I’m feeling overwhelming gratitude that she asked me to join and it feels like I’m connected to something bigger than I expected.

I returned home feeling informed and “reminded.” I felt tired and spent out but energized for next steps. I also feel the pull to continue conversations, to make sure the offerings I put into space have detail or meat behind them.

Nora Lewis:

I can’t begin to tell you how incredibly fortunate I feel to have been able to attend your Principle Quest Foundation learning journey to Montgomery and Selma. I have traveled extensively throughout the U.S. and overseas. This trip, however, hit me quite differently as what I saw and learned, particularly from the Rosa Parks Museum and the Equal Justice Initiative Memorial and Museum, was a very personal experience.

I am grateful to have met many wonderful women at the Development Professionals Networking Breakfast and [the] dinner to honor Stacia Robinson…You amazingly put together a very thoughtful learning experience with the tours, dinners and places of important interest.

I’m so glad I could end my visit by attending Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. I met Deacon, Brad Bennett, and his wife Adeyela, who were so wonderful to speak with…. Everything I’ve learned will add further dimension to the work we do on the Black Heritage Trail of NH and beyond!  With heartfelt gratitude, Nora