Today we drove from Pensacola to Montgomery, Alabama, the center of the Civil Rights Movement. We first visited the Freedom Rides Museum. In 1961 a group of volunteers, not much older than the ringers, challenged segregated travel throughout the south. We learned about the challenges they faced in trying to end racial segregation in public transportation. The museum is housed in the Greyhound station where it all began. We saw where the entrances and waiting rooms were for the white and colored areas and how different they were. It was an interesting look at where it all started and how a group of people can make a difference.
After the Freedom Rider Museum we went to The Legacy Museum. This museum displayed the history of slavery and racism in America. It included the enslavement of Blacks, racial lynchings, segregation and racial bias. The museum used different mediums bring to life that terrible time period in US history and the continued effects we still see today. It was a really intense museum but one everyone should see if they have the opportunity. It was so interesting we stayed until after closing time.
After the museum we loaded up the bus and headed to our hotel in Ozark, Alabama. There were some really heavy rains in the area. When we got to the hotel the power was off. It was a sight, a 3 story hotel building without any lights on. They had a battery-powered key maker so at least we had rooms and keys We unloaded the bus in the rain and met in the lobby. We were about to go up 3 flights of stairs to our rooms when luckily the power came on. Hurray!
The tour moms hosted a couple of card games and some ringers did laundry. There was fun to be had by all.
In the morning there was a quick hotel breakfast followed by a stop at Target for Starbucks and other miscellaneous supplies. Then we were on our way to Tallahassee!
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