Range Rider

10 RANGE RIDER | FALL-WINTER 2017 TRIP THROUGH HISTORY: HSU Students Tour Civil Rights Landmarks R eggie Davis had read all about the civil rights movement, but he wanted to learn more. When he toured the Deep South with an HSU travel course, his experiences taught him things his history books never could. “It is powerful to be able to see things in person instead of just hearing about them,” said Davis, a senior Business Administration major who is African- American. At the Civil Rights Museum in Atlanta, Davis participated in a Freedom Rider simulation. Freedom Riders traveled from all over the nation to sit in diners that would serve whites only. “People laid their lives on the line,” he said. “With your headphones on and your hands on the table, you could hear people shouting at you to leave the restaurant and feel the vibration in your seat as they kicked your chair. You really can’t get the full experience, but this trip gave you a glimpse of what it would be like.” Davis was one of 40 HSU students who spent their May Term on a road trip through civil rights landmarks. The trip lasted nine days and covered five states. Students chose between three classes: a Psychology of Racism course taught by Dr. John Eric Swenson, a social work and sociology class titled Engaging Diversity and Difference taught by Professor Melissa Milliorn, and a leadership course on Civil Rights taught by Dr. Coleman Patterson. One of the highlights of the trip was a visit to the home of Booker T. Washington on the campus of Tuskegee University. On their tour, they learned that Washington was friends with one of HSU’s founders, James B. Simmons. “We wanted to teach the students more about Simmons, his role as an abolitionist, and his loving concern for all people” Dr. Swenson said. “That’s part of our heritage here.” Simmons gave Booker T. Washington advice about how to raise money to grow Tuskegee. The class had the opportunity to meet Washington’s great-great-great-grandson, Bryan Hall, who knew about Simmons and his relationship with Washington. The students also toured the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tenn., which is located in the Lorraine Hotel where Martin Luther King Jr. was shot. While they were there, they met Hardin-Simmons’ first African American graduate, Richard David Dean ’67, and his wife, Justine. “We were able to ask him questions about that time period of life, what he experienced, and how he feels today,” Professor Milliorn said. “There is a lot of value being able to talk to someone who lived through those events in our history.” From a leadership perspective, Dr. Patterson wanted his class to raise awareness and understanding about civil rights. “Many of our students come from a white, middle-class background so they can only experience those things at an arm’s length,” he said. “The goal of this trip was to shorten that arm.” Reggie Davis Dr. John Eric Swenson Mrs. Melissa Milliorn Dr. Coleman Patterson

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