These are diary entries that I wrote throughout my ten-day Sojourn to the Past trip on February 14-23. Each entry is posted here two weeks after it was originally written, due to the provision that I didn’t have any computer or internet access during my trip. Be sure to check out my other Sojourn to the Past coverage. Enjoy.

Today was another full day. We started with a 6 AM wake-up call, and jumped right into a lesson in the hotel about the KKK’s murder of Vernon Dahmer and their firebombing of the Dahmer’s house.

Vernon Dahmer had been a voting rights activist in the sixties, and a well-off farmer and grocery store owner. His motto was, “If you don’t vote, you don’t count.” He even used his means to offer to pay the poll tax of those who couldn’t afford it, and so, on January 10, 1966, his home was firebombed. While his family made it to safety, his lungs were irreparably damaged and he died, arousing the response of both blacks and whites who had admired him. His murderer was only recently convicted in 1998.

After the lesson, we got to meet sons Vernon Dahmer, Jr. and George Dahmer, and daughter Bettie Dahmer. Normally, we would also have been joined by another son, Harold Dahmer, and by their mom Ellie Dahmer, but the former had the flu and the latter was recovering from a recent knee replacement. However, they told us a bit about their story and the aftermath and then answered questions.

Afterwards, we left to the hotel and stopped off briefly at the Dahmer’s house, where they shared the area with us and did some show and tell. We then moved on to Vernon Dahmer, Sr.’s final resting place, where we reflected and paid our respects.

We moved on to Jackson, Mississippi. We first went to the offices of the Clarion Ledger, the newspaper where reporter Jerry Mitchell works. Jerry Mitchell uncovered and leaked various information in the 1990s that has helped many of the criminals of the civil rights movement come to justice. We were going to get to meet him, but unfortunately he was not there today, though the editor of the paper did welcome us for a few minutes before we went back to the buses.

Our other spot in Jackson was the home of Medgar and Myrlie Evers (see last Friday). Myrlie wasn’t home (she owns another residence elsewhere in the country), but we sat on the driveway, despite the rain, to reflect on Medgar Evers and pay respects.

Finally, we embarked on the three-hour bus ride to Memphis, Tennessee, during which we had a talent show on the bus, one in which everyone had to participate. (This was evident when one person led us in The Alphabet Song.) I did a comedic monologue about the “chicken crossing the road” joke.

When we got into Memphis and checked into our hotel, we grabbed dinner and then split up for the first time into groups by school. The objective was for students from each school on meet and discuss ways for us to share what we learned and spread a message to our school to help make change on our campus. We didn’t quite have time for our Aragon group to narrow down an idea, but we’ll have the opportunity to meet again back at home to work on this project.

Tomorrow is a day that I’m really looking forward to: the day when we go to Little Rock. I’m in need of sleep now though, so good night.

Tags: Clarion Ledger, Dahmer family, diaries, Hattiesburg, Jackson, Jerry Mitchell, Medgar Evers, Memphis, Mississippi, Sojourn to the Past, talent show, Tennessee, Vernon Dahmer, voting rights

These are diary entries that I wrote throughout my ten-day Sojourn to the Past trip on February 14-23. Each entry is posted here two weeks after it was originally written, due to the provision that I didn’t have any computer or internet access during my trip. Be sure to check out my other Sojourn to the Past coverage. Enjoy.

Today was another long day. After our 8 AM breakfast, we started with what was titled “The longest lesson of our life.” Personally, I’m not sure of the validity of that statement, but I thought that it was certainly worth it. The lesson was about the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954 and about the Little Rock Nine’s integration of Little Rock Central High School. We met each of the nine (through a movie) and were introduced to their struggle to get into Central and what they endured. We then went into how the students there could permit such atrocities hapening in their school, and thus, the dangers of being a silent witness.

Then, Minnijean Brown-Trickey (one of the Little Rock Nine) spoke. She talked about how a lot of what goes down in history is unimportant to teenagers because the historians are old people, and she discussed how the events surrounding the Nine were really a fight about who had the power and the law: state government or the federal government. She then answered some questions, and then we did a “give back” session, where we shared with Minnijean the words we used to describe her and why.

We then had a lesson on Medgar and Myrlie Evers, who were voting rights leaders from Mississippi. We learned about the deplorable voting rights laws in Mississippi and learned about the horrendous things that its state government did to spy and cause the systematic killing of black voters and their sympathizers. It was shocking and amazing to learn that the same things that this country criticized Nazi Germany, China, and the Soviet Union for took place here in this country.

Finally, after dinner, we went to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Historical Museum. We had exclusive access there tonight, and got to take a very close look at the six major exhibits there: Segregation, The King Family, Call to Lead, Visiting the Mountain Top, Expanding the Dream, and Overcoming Loss. It was a very interesting and very interactive museum, with lots of pictures, words, and videos. We were also permitted to take pictures, which you’ll be able to see on my Flickr account once I get them posted.

Tomorrow we’re in for another lesson-filled day at the hotel, but already, in only two days, I have learned so much, and am looking forward to what’s still to come.

Tags: Arkansas, Atlanta, Central High School, civil rights, diaries, Dr. King, Georgia, history, King Center, Little Rock, Little Rock Nine, Medgar Evers, Minnijean Brown-Trickey, Mississippi, Myrlie Evers, Sojourn to the Past, Sovereignty Committee, voting rights