Students will have the opportunity to go on a Civil Rights Tour the week after finals, visiting many places that were pivotal during the Civil Rights Movement.
Dr. Richard Beck, professor of psychology and department chair; Dr. David Dillman, professor of political science and Jennifer Dillman, associate professor of sociology and family studies, will offer the course and said all majors are welcome on the “ACU Freedom Ride” but can only receive credit for PSYC 440, POLS 440 or SOCI 440.
“This is the kind of thing that every major would benefit from. Not only will it broaden your experience, but deepen your understanding of issues that affect us today,” David Dillman said. “These events aren’t that far back in our history, and it still affects us today in our relationships and how we interact with others around the world.”
The tour will cost $595 in addition to the regular tuition cost of a three-hour class. Extra costs will cover the bus, hotels, admission to museums and historical sites as well as one meal per day.
The bus booked for the tour seats up to 50, and Beck says they’ll try to take as many students as express interest.
“We’re aiming at having 30 students, but we can take as few as 20 and still have the costs work out,” Beck said. “Some faculty have also expressed interest in coming along, and we may be able to take a few, but students are of higher priority.”
David Dillman, Jennifer Dillman and Beck began planning the tour last June, and had been thinking about a tour for a while.
“How often do we study abroad where events took place?” Beck asked. “Studying Shakespeare, you go to the Globe Theater; the Holocaust – you go to Germany; but here in our own country, things happened too. On this trip we’ll stand in places where historic events actually happened.”
The tour will leave Abilene on May 15 and return May 21. Students will visit historic sites in cities such as Little Rock, Ark., Memphis, Tenn., Birmingham, Selma and Montgomery, Ala. and Jackson, Miss. as well as watching videos and talking to people who lived during the Civil Rights Movement.
“We’ll talk to people in the region and also contact scholars who were involved in these issues to give us more depth and perspective,” David Dillman said. “We’ll be able to identify with these people who actually put their lives on the line.”
Beck is excited for the tour, but is especially looking forward to visiting the house of Martin Luther King Jr.
“I’m anxious to stand in his kitchen; where King had an epiphany from God to stand up and be courageous,” Beck said. “It’s kind of like holy ground. The place where he was sitting and decided to become the Martin Luther King we know today.”
Students will be able to register for the ACU Freedom Ride, starting Feb. 23 on Banner. However, payment methods have not been finalized.
For more information, contact Beck at beckr@acu.edu, David Dillman at dillmand@acu.edu or Jennifer Dillman at jennifer.dillman@acu.edu, or talk to your departments academic adviser.
