My Journey from Selma to Montgomery

In the footsteps of slaves and prisoners

We attended a lot of different museums and exhibits during the trip, but the one that really resonated with me was the Equal Justice Initiative Museum. 

The museum used holograms to really take you on the journey of what it was like to be a slave back in the day. You started on a boat heading towards America, saw slaves locked in cages, and even talked face to face with some of the slaves. 

Mothers were pleading for help finding their kids, children crying out for help asking for their mothers; it was really eye-opening and powerful.

The next phase of the exhibit demonstrated the transition from enslavement in America to imprisonment in America and how it disproportionately affects African-Americans more so than any other group of people. 

In that room, you’re in a jail cell talking to inmates through plexiglass. You literally pick up the phone on your end and speak with them. Hearing their stories and experiences and feeling a similar desperation and fear you heard from slaves hundreds of years ago. 

This immersion was something I wasn’t expecting, and it stays with you long after you leave the museum. 

Experiencing that kind of pain and cruelty, even via holographic images and other learning tools, is uncomfortable but important. 

Sometimes, we have to deal with uncomfortable truths to feel the pain and sorrow that exists for others; it allows us to be empathetic and grow. 

The trip really inspired me to do more.