Social Media Expedition » Civil Rights http://www.socialmediaexpedition.com . Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:39:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Inauguration Expedition http://www.socialmediaexpedition.com/2009/02/inauguration-expedition/ http://www.socialmediaexpedition.com/2009/02/inauguration-expedition/#comments Mon, 02 Feb 2009 19:46:12 +0000 lalunablanca http://www.socialmediaexpedition.com/?p=114 This Saturday, we were lucky to listen to firsthand accounts of the recent inauguration from two very unique perspectives. The Expedition was joined at Caritas Village by Civil Rights activist Georgia King, and local businessman Harry Brown, who were both present at the inauguration.

 

 

Caritas Village, which is centered around the idea of racial reconciliation, proved to be the ideal setting to hear the stories that arose out of this unifying ceremony. Expedition members and community residents gathered round the pair in an upstairs room to share an intimate conversation about hope, unity, and the role both of these play in creating a more positive future.

"Mother King," who played a significant role in the American Civil Rights movement from a young age, was able to share inspiring anecdotes about her early efforts to help register black voters, and her part in the march on Washington. Her experience and commitment to Civil Rights earned her a place near the front of the inauguration audience, and a chance to watch history happen from up close.

 

 

Harry Brown spoke strongly of the unity of the crowd. His spot near the Washington Monument was not as close to the ceremony as Mother King’s, but the sense of excitement, unity, and connection with his fellow onlookers was not diminished by distance. The cheering and enthusiasm of the crowd impacted him strongly, and he was kind enough to share his coverage of the event that helped illustrate the emotions that were running through the group of onlookers.

Those of us who were able to meet with these two and hear their stories personally, left feeling inspired, and a little more hopeful for our nation’s future. Below we have posted videos of our conversations for all to see. Thank you for letting us sharing with you.

Getting to the Inauguration                                  

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]]> http://www.socialmediaexpedition.com/2009/02/inauguration-expedition/feed/ 0 Civil Rights Expedition http://www.socialmediaexpedition.com/2009/01/civil-rights-expedition/ http://www.socialmediaexpedition.com/2009/01/civil-rights-expedition/#comments Wed, 28 Jan 2009 15:26:17 +0000 lalunablanca http://www.socialmediaexpedition.com/?p=56 The Courthouse This MLK Jr. Day, several expedition members traveled deep into delta territory into historic Money, MS to explore the events surrounding the murder of Emmett Till, a 14-Year-Old African-American youth from Chicago. Emmett’s murder is often overlooked as one of the great catalysts to the American Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s. Our mission was to visit the sites that were significant leading up to and shortly following Till’s death, and hopefully, through Web 2.0 coverage, give this tragedy some well deserved exposure. We left even more resolute to our goal than we came. Bryant's Grocery and Meat Market Our first stop on the journey was the Bryant’s Grocery and Meat Market, now vacant and derelict, where Till allegedly whistled at the white store owner, Carolyn Bryant. This kind of action was considered extremely taboo in a racially divided culture and raised the ire of Carolyn’s husband Roy Bryant, and his half brother, J.W. Milam. We also made a brief stop at the remains of J.W. Milam’s former home. His property served as the primary location for most of the actions surrounding Till’s murder. Very nearby, was possibly the most impacting site on our journey. It was the cotton barn at J.W. Milam’s plantation where Emmett Till was taken to be beaten, maimed, and killed. Eventually a fan was taken from the cotton gin and tied to Till with barbed wire before dumping him into the Tallahatchie River. The barn itself has been turned into a makeshift museum dedicated to Emmett Till and blues musician “Sonny Boy” Williamson. Near the end of our exploration, we visited the courthouse where the, very brief, trial took place for Emmett’s murder, and the remnants of the hotel where the jury, who acquitted Milam and Bryant in less than an hour, stayed. Thanks to those who encouraged us to make this trip. Special thanks to Joe Spake for his participation, many insights about The Delta along the way, and his Emmett Till blog post. This is just the first of many Expeditionary trips. The next event is our Tweetup this Friday at GPAC. Find us on Facebook, and we’ll keep you informed on developing details. We hope to see you in the conversation.

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