The Buddha said “I am Awake”

Stephan B. Oate’s – Let the Trumpet Sound - If you do not have time to read the entire book, I have noted pages below where Oates covers Montgomery, Birmingham, and Selma. Try to read these for sure.

• King comes to Montgomery 1954 (55 to 104)
• Birmingham – Spring 1963 (209 to 243)
• Selma and the Voting Rights Project 1965 (325 to 364)

Dates to Remember:

• Monday February 2 – $326 due in your account for airfare.
• Monday February 9 - Meeting #1
• Thursday February 12 - Video Conference with John Lewis
• Tuesday February 17 - Meeting #2
• Monday February 23 - Meeting #3
• Monday February 23 - Balance due.
• Wednesday March 4 – Parent Meeting and Eyes on the Prize
• Friday March 6 to Monday March 9 – Travel Dates

Take a look guys! Our study sessions are on the calendar – Make sure to check TODAY with work and with coaches and movie directors to get these days off. Your attendance at these discussions will be mandatory. We have a responsablity to be prepared before taking this walk thru history. You will be provided the following materials…each will enrich your study of the events of Selma. I know you live a busy life, however this journey deserves our attention. Make sure to read all of the Independent Study by February 17. Try to dig as deep as you can into the Oate’s book. You will be glad that you have done so – it is a wonderful study of Dr. King. And I will pick up copies of John Lewis memoir if anybody is interested.

Materials:

• Let the Trumpet Sound - Stephan B. Oates
• Mr. Wood’s 2003 Independent Study of Selma
• CD – Speech Martin Luther King Jr. Montgomery – 3/25/65
• CD – Music of the Civil Rights Movement
• DVD – (50:00) Eyes on the Prize “Bridge to Freedom”
• DVD – (20:00) National Parks Department – Intro Video

Monday February 9 – 3:00 to 4:30:

• Visiting Professor Dr. R.W. Green will provide a lecture on Congressman John Lewis and his role in the movement. Congressman John Lewis was President of SNCC during the events of Selma in 1965. He also spoke on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in the 1963 March on Washington. He participated in the Freedom Rides and Sit Ins – if one man captured the passion and dedication of the movement, it was Congressman Lewis. Mr. Green has read the Lewis autobiography “Walking with the Wind .” He will provide us his insights on John Lewis. I will provide you copies of passages from the Lewis book. Please read them prior to this meeting.

Thursday February 12 -2:00 PM

• Video Conference with Congressman John Lewis (TBA):MAISD has the technological capacity to sponsor such an event, as does the Congressman. The Congressman’s office has tentatively set the date and time for the video conference at 2:00 PM on Thursday at the MAISD. This will be a school related absence. You are not required to attend, however to choose not to go you would miss a wonderful opportunity. Each of us needs to be prepared for the video conference with knowledge and questions. Start getting on line and learning more about Congressman John Lewis. Look nice on February 12. No sweatpants at the videoconference.

Tuesday February 17 – 3:00 to 4:30:

• Survey of the Civil Rights Movement from 1954 and the Brown decision up to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. We will specifically concentrate on the events of Montgomery, Birmingham, and Selma. It is important if you are to understand the relevance of Selma, Alabama in the Civil Rights movement, that you have a sound basis of knowledge. Part of that understanding is that you have the chronology of events down. Make sure to be reading “Let the Trumpet Sound” to provide more depth to your studies. I will post the specific page numbers dealing with the Selma campaign.

Monday February 23 – 3:00 to 4:30

• Selma, Alabama in the Spring of 1965. Using Mr. Wood’s photos and writings from his repeat photography Independent Study of Selma in 2003, we will take a closer look at the events of Selma in the Spring of 1965. Make sure to have read and reviewed the Selma map, photos and corresponding stories, in addition to specific coverage of Selma in the Oate’s book. Please have the Repeat photography packets read by February 23.

Wednesday March 4 – 7:00 PM (students) 8:00 PM (student / parents)

• We will have an evening meeting to finalize travel plans to Selma. For one hour (7:00 to 8:00) prior to the meeting we will be showing – Eyes on the Prize “Bridge to Freedom” in room #112. You will be expected to be there. If you would like to bring your parents you are encouraged to do so. You and a parent must attend the 30 minute meeting (for travel plans) following the movie. Start getting car pools together for March 6 and March 9.

And lets go down to Alabama and have a GREAT TIME!

Filed under: Selma, Alabama March 6