It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s another journal entry!!!

Today we’ve visited Montgomery and Selma, Alabama. It’s been an emotional rollercoaster for everyone. Let’s start lightly with our visit to the Rosa Park museum. I never knew she was called the mother of the civil rights movement which is odd because I thought I’ve already learned enough. That’s when I thought you can never learn enough you always keep learning. It’s never too late to gather knowledge. It’s only been day 3 and I’m already overwhelmed with information and that’s a good thing. I like to learn interesting things I never knew before. I enjoy being open minded about topics that brings such significance to me and the people around me. So much has stood out to me from going on a tour around Selma to visiting the graveyard where I seen such a disgusting site. There were confederate flags proudly flowing throughout the graveyard without remorse. This revealed that these people didn’t want a change. They didn’t want everyone treated equally. They didn’t want people to live their lives at peace. And that reveals that there is still hatred in this world. Why aren’t we accepting if we bleed the same way? I don’t understand how a group of people can hate another group of people to the point they pursue violence. My ancestors were brought here and yet were treated like animals, but you’re the one that took us by force and raped our women and beat and tortured our men. Sorry to go off track with my entry, but that really struck a nerve when I see those flags. I haven’t even talked about the amazing Kirk Carrington and how he reflected on the history of Selma and how he grew up surrounded by activist and visiting the neighborhoods these historical people have once walked or still walking. I’ve gathered so much information and it has only been three days. By the end of this trip it’s only the beginning for me to create a legacy and I’m ready and "ain’t nothing going to turn me around."

-Shannon Alford