By Piper Rutherford | Staff Writer
Baylor Multicultural Affairs is offering students the opportunity to immerse themselves in the history of the civil rights movement with a trip across the U.S. in January. The deadline to apply is Oct. 11.
Bailey Hebert, senior program coordinator for Spiritual Life, said the trip will go beyond what many students know about civil rights history, such as the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., by allowing them to explore how many social and racial justice movements began on college campuses.
“When looking at the civil rights era, the feminist era and the anti-war era during the Vietnam War, it all started with college students,” Hebert said. “These young adults are at such a formative time in their lives and [have] the power to change the world for the better. Even if, today, there may not be as many protests … what is important is that there is still room to advocate for things you believe in and are passionate about.”
During her time as an undergraduate, Hebert said she had the opportunity to take a trip to the Human and Civil Rights Museum in Atlanta — the same museum that 12 Baylor students will visit for their last stop on the six-city bus tour. The tour will take them to Jackson, Miss.; Montgomery, Ala.; Birmingham, Ala.; Atlanta; Memphis, Tenn.; and Little Rock, Ark.
As for the trip’s excursions and activities, Priscilla Serrato, senior coordinator for education and training for Multicultural Affairs, said they have a full itinerary from the moment they depart from Waco.
“I am most excited about walking in the footsteps of Martin Luther King Jr. on the Selma Bridge — especially after seeing the movie ‘Selma’ a few years ago — and visualizing myself in the movie as someone walking down there and continuing to fight the good fight for racial justice,” Serrato said.
Serrato said the trip will give students a chance to experience new places at a more affordable price than studying abroad.
“We do not want our trip to be a financial burden, so we are planning on hosting fundraisers to supplement the cost of the trip if a student finds the $120 to be too expensive,” Serrato said. “It may not be as big as going overseas, but you are still visiting somewhere outside of your home environment and learning about new cultures, environments and people.”
Hebert said another noteworthy aspect of the civil rights immersion trip is that it is not mission- or service-based but still has the power to shape Baylor students’ lives.
“This is a trip for everyone,” Hebert said. “It provides students with a chance to examine history firsthand and learn more about the lasting impacts of the civil rights movement that continue touching many students’ lives today.”
