North Carolina students to visit ALJ High for Civil Rights discussion

About 35 students from Macon Early College in Franklin, North Carolina will descend on Thomaston on Sunday, April 8 as part of a two day Civil Rights tour of the area. The tour will include a brief stop at the site of Old Cahawba, a visit to Monroeville to see “To Kill a Mockingbird” and a trip to Selma for a guided tour of the sites of the Civil Rights demonstrations of 1965. Thomaston Baptist Church has agreed to house the students in its fellowship hall for the two-night stay.

On Tuesday, April 10, the MEC students will visit Amelia Love Johnson High School for a panel discussion. The discussion will revolve around the topics of civil rights and race relations, specifically in terms of progress made over the last 50-plus years and progress still needed. Panel members will include selected students; William Martin (Principal, ALJHS); Para Davis (Social Studies Teacher, ALJHS); Joyce Glover (3rd Grade Teacher ALJHS);  Rayvell Smith (Former ALJ Principal and current Marengo County Board of Education member); Chester Moore (Current School Board President), Reverend James Clarke, Jr.; Reverend Joseph Harper, Reverend Ivory J. Alexander.

“We hope this trip will foster a deeper understanding of the reasons behind the Civil Rights movement and an appreciation for the challenges faced by those who participated or were impacted by it,” said Gary Brown, Macon Early College Social Studies teacher. “Perhaps in some small way, this visit can provide a little bridge of communication in an area where there still exists a gulf of misunderstanding. We hope to return the favor to our hosts at Amelia Love Johnson by inviting those students and staff members to visit our school in Franklin, North Carolina during the 2018-19 school year.”