A Stunning Moment that Changed the World

JMC School hosts a community road trip, 'MLK Legacy We Remember', to mark the 50th Anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Ride with us through the landmarks of the civil rights movement as we travel through Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee with Bay Area African-American community leaders during SJSU Spring Break in March, 2018. 

What would Dr. King think of the progress and setbacks over the past 50 years? Do you still have hope America can reach that “Mountaintop” envisioned by this Baptist preacher in his speech the night before he was assassinated? Was Martin Luther King’s death on April 4, 1968 in vain?

These and many other timely issues will be explored as our JMC School group bus winds its way through Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee during the week of the SJSU Spring Break in late March, 2018.

Bay Area community elders are invited to share with today’s students your memories of growing up in the South, and migrating with your families to California. Bring us back to those times and reflect on where you were the moment you heard the news that Dr. King had been shot. Describe MLK’s final hours, your stories, and the emotions that still well up some 50 years later.

This unique journey back through time, hosted by the SJSU School of Journalism and Mass Communications, will be transformative for all who participate. This special learning opportunity was created and developed by Photojournalism Coordinator, Dr. Duane Michael Cheers, and is coordinated by former JMC School Director, Journalism Professor Bob Rucker.

The goal is to bring alive the extraordinary legacy of Dr. King and the Civil Rights movement from our travels through the historic landmarks of the South. News reports both then and now, documentaries and historic picture books will enable participants to step back into history and appreciate the challenges and determination that was necessary to help inspire change in America.

This is a privately funded, non-SJSU affiliated event. We welcome community support.

Proposed Itinerary

The SJSU Journalism group will arrive in Atlanta, GA on Saturday, March 24.

All should be checked into the hotel, the Courtyard Marriott, 133 Carnegie Way by 5pm.

Sunday, March 25, (11:30am) Palm Sunday services at - Ebenezer Baptist/ Dr. King’s church. Following church, we will walk across the street to the MLK Center and then bus to Morehouse College, where Dr. King received his sociology degree in 1948. We will also visit King’s birth home, the crypt of Dr. and Mrs. King, reflecting pool, exhibits at Freedom Hall. http://www.thekingcenter.org/

Monday, March 26, early morning bus ride to 16th St. Baptist Church, Birmingham, AL, where four young girls were killed in a KKK bombing, September 15, 1963. Later we will head to Kelly Ingraham Park across the street.

Tuesday, March 27, Edmund Pettus Bridge, Selma, AL, the site of Bloody Sunday, March 7, 1965.

The Civil Rights Memorial/SPLC, Montgomery, AL

Viola Liuzzo Memorial

 

Wednesday, March 28, Philadelphia, MS, The site where three civil rights workers were killed, June 21, 1964, 

Thursday, March 29, The Evers Home, Jackson, MS, where NAACP leader Medgar Evers was shot and killed in his driveway by a Klansman, June 12, 1963

Emmett Till Interpretive Center, Sumner, MS, where Till, 14, was killed by Klansmen, August 28, 1955, 

Friday, March 30, Memphis, TN Lorraine Motel/National Civil Rights Museum, where MLK, Jr. was assassinated, April 4, 1968.

Saturday, March 31, return flights to San José.

Student Selection Process

How To Apply

SJSU students wishing to participate must submit a word doc essay not exceeding 500 words that details how this trip would benefit and enhance their educational experience at SJSU. Students will be selected who demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate by sharing their personal perspectives with unique insights, and describe how the trip experience would help them excite public interest in timely and important social issues.

Please include at the top of your typed, double-spaced essay:

  • Student ID number,
  • Telephone
  • Email
  • Contact information.

Essay Deadline

December 9, 2017 at noon.

Apply by sending the essay as a PDF to: Michael.Cheers@sjsu.edu (Email Header: MLK 50th application)

Students that are selected will be notified by Monday, December 21.

Estimated Cost (Including Hotel, Charter Bus and Museum fees…)

  • Single: $1345.
  • Double: $825.
  • Triple: $650.

Please note:

  • Only breakfast is included each day except at Hilton Garden Hotel, Montgomery, AL ($9.95)
  • Airfare is separate and estimated between $500 and $650 depending on when you book your flight.

Learning Outcomes

  • Students will develop topics for scholarly undergraduate research and/or creative visual arts presentations at conferences. The students and elders will forge campus/neighborhood partnerships and initiatives that build upon Dr. King’s legacy and hope for a “Beloved Community”.
  • There will be a photo exhibition of the trip and a campus/community reception at the MLK, Jr. Library 2nd floor on April 4, 2018.
  • We will ring a bell and have a community prayer at 4:01pm/6:01 pm Memphis time, the exact moment Dr. King was assassinated.

Hotels, Charter Bus and Museum Fees Payable to:

Flight Community Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 1484 San José, CA 95109
Any questions regarding payment schedule/deadlines contact:
Accountant Tim Hilton 408-661-7938
tim@hiltonconsulting.org

Once selected, students should book and pay their air travel immediately for best rates: Departing March 24 San José to Atlanta. Returning March 31 Memphis to San José.

The daily itinerary is subject to change.

To help students defray costs, this trip is being supported in part by private donations from alumni, friends and anyone wishing to contribute to this history-making experience.

Tax-deductible donations should be sent to:

Flight Community Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 1484 San José, CA 95109
Any questions contact Tim Hilton 408-661-7938