Minnijean Brown-Trickey

Minnijean Brown-Trickey is one of the historic Little Rock Nine, the courageous students who integrated Central High School in 1957. To the Sojourn community, she is affectionately known as the “Queen of Sojourn,” having traveled on countless journeys over the years. A lifelong advocate for peacemaking, youth leadership, environmental justice, and cross-cultural understanding, she also served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Workforce Diversity at the U.S. Department of the Interior during the Clinton Administration. Her wisdom, humor, and courage continue to inspire Sojourn participants to lead with compassion and create meaningful change.

Elizabeth Eckford

Elizabeth Eckford is a member of the Little Rock Nine. She attended Central High School from September 1957 until Governor Oral Faubus closed all schools in Little Rock in another attempt to prevent desegregation. She then moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where she finished her high school education. Elizabeth later participated in the famed March on Washington in 1963, and joined the U.S. Army in 1967. She now lives in Little Rock and works as a probation officer. She meets every Sojourn group and recounts her experiences with prejudice and the toll it took on her life; she is quick to emphasize the power of kindness and how young people can make a difference in one another’s lives. Elizabeth tells her story in her autobiography, The Worst First Day: Bullied While Desegregating Central High.

The Evers Family

Myrlie Evers-Williams has devoted her life to advancing civil rights and preserving the legacy of her husband, Medgar Evers, who was assassinated in 1963 for his activism in Mississippi. A former Chairwoman of the NAACP, she spent decades fighting for justice, equality, and racial healing, becoming a powerful voice for change across generations. In 2013, she made history as the first woman and first layperson to deliver the invocation at a presidential inauguration. Through Sojourn trips, students have the opportunity to learn directly from her story and legacy, gaining a deeper understanding of courage, resilience, and the ongoing work of building a more just future.

On January 21, 2013, Evers-Williams delivered the invocation at the second inauguration of Barack Obama. She was the first woman and the first layperson to deliver the invocation at a presidential inauguration.

She has co-authored the following books:

For Us, the Living

The Autobiography of Medger Evers: A Hero’s Life and Legacy Revealed Through his Writings, Letters and Speeches

Watch Me Fly: What I Learned on the Way to Becoming the Woman I was Meant to Be 

Reena Evers

Reena Evers is the daughter of civil rights leaders Medgar and Myrlie Evers and serves as Board President of Sojourn Project. At just 8 years old, she witnessed the assassination of her father, an experience that shaped her lifelong commitment to justice, education, and civic responsibility.

A respected communications professional and frequent public speaker, Reena has worked with organizations nationally and internationally to promote dialogue, understanding, and human dignity. She also serves as Executive Director of the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Institute, continuing her family’s legacy by inspiring future generations through education, historical truth, and the ongoing pursuit of equality.

Angela Lewis

Angela Lewis’ father James Chaney was born May 30, 1943 in Meridian, Mississippi to Ben and Fannie Lee Chaney. In 1963, he joined the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). In 1964, CORE led a massive voter registration and desegregation campaign in Mississippi called Freedom Summer. As part of the Freedom Summer activities, Chaney was riding with two white activists when they were attacked and killed by the Ku Klux Klan on June 21, 1964. After numerous attempts, the family finally received a small measure of justice in 2005 when Edgar Ray Killen was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to 60 years in prison. Ms. Lewis was just 10 days old when her father’s life was taken. She recounts her father’s activism from a young age and delivers an inspirational message about how young people can transform their communities.

The McNair Family

The McNair family shares the story of Denise McNair, who was killed at age eleven in the 1963 bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama — an act of racial terrorism that also claimed the lives of Addie Mae Collins, Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley. Through Sojourn trips, the family speaks about loss, resilience, and the importance of empathy, reminding students that hatred only destroys the hater. Their message encourages young people to build more compassionate, inclusive, and courageous communities.

Sarah Collins Rudolph was one of the survivors of the 1963 bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. She was just 12 years old when the explosion killed her sister, Addie Mae Collins, along with Denise McNair, Cynthia Wesley, and Carole Robertson, and left Sarah blind in one eye. Through Sojourn trips, she meets with students inside the church sanctuary to share her story of survival, healing, and forgiveness, reminding young people of the power of resilience, compassion, and hope in the face of hatred.

Lisa McNair wrote the book Dear Denise: Letters to the Sister I Never Knew and Sarah Rudoplh Collins’ story is told in The 5th Little Girl: Soul Survivor of the 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing (The Sarah Collins Rudolph Story). Spike Lee directed the Oscar-nominated documentary 4 Little Girls, which chronicles the 1963 bombing of Birmingham’s Sixteenth Street Baptist Church.

Jerry Mitchell

Jerry Mitchell is an investigative reporter for The Clarion-Ledger newspaper in Jackson, Mississippi, and is the leading civil rights reporter in the country. He persuaded authorities to reopen seemingly cold-case murder cases from the Civil Rights Era, prompting one colleague to call him “the South’s Simon Wiesenthal.” His investigations have led to the arrest of several Klansmen and prompted authorities to reexamine numerous killings during the Civil Rights Era. Mitchell’s work so far has helped put at least four Klansmen behind bars: Byron De La Beckwith, 1963 assassin of NAACP leader Medgar Evers; Imperial Wizard Sam Bowers for ordering the fatal firebombing of NAACP leader Vernon Dahmer in 1966; Bobby Cherry for the 1963 bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham that killed four little girls; and most recently, Edgar Ray Killen, for helping to orchestrate the killings of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner. He has received the MacArthur Genius Grant for his efforts. Read more in his book Race Against Time: A Reporter Reopens the Unsolved Murder Cases of the Civil Rights Era.

Mr. Mitchell’s investigative reporting  is featured in the 2010 documentary Neshoba: The Price of Freedom, which examines the 1964 murders of civil rights workers James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner in Neshoba County, Mississippi.

The Dahmer Family

Vernon Dahmer Sr. was a businessman, community leader, and voting rights activist in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, who believed that every voice mattered. He often reminded others, “If you don’t vote, you don’t count.”

In 1966, white supremacists firebombed the Dahmer family home in retaliation for his efforts to help African Americans register to vote. Vernon suffered fatal burns after helping his wife and children escape the flames, sacrificing his own life in the pursuit of justice and equality.

Today, Vernon’s children—Ellie, Dennis, and Bettie Dahmer—join Sojourn Project as special guest speakers, sharing their family’s remarkable story firsthand. Their testimony transforms history into a deeply personal experience, inspiring meaningful conversations about courage, civic responsibility, voting rights, and the responsibility each of us has to help shape a more just and compassionate future.

Bill Barker

Bill Barker is one of the nation’s leading Thomas Jefferson historical interpreters, known for bringing the founding era to life through immersive first-person interpretation. During the Washington, D.C. portion of the Sojourn experience, he engages students in thoughtful conversations about Jefferson’s ideals, leadership, and the contradictions woven into the nation’s founding. Barker’s presentations challenge students to examine history critically while exploring how the promises of democracy and equality continue to shape America today.

He is featured in the History Channel’s six-part docuseries Thomas Jefferson, which explores the life, legacy, and complex history of America’s third president.

Gary Cross

Gary meets with our Middle School groups when they travel to Gettysburg. He is one of the leading Gettysburg historians in the country. In addition to his work with the National Park Service, he spends the day with our students educating them about landmark locations around the battlefield. This pivotal moment in U.S. history is brought to life with vivid clarity, and students walk away with a new appreciation thanks to Gary’s enthusiastic teaching.

Thomas Moore

In May of 1964, when his brother Charles Moore and his friend Henry Dee went missing, Thomas Moore wasn’t sure what happened.  He was stationed with the Army at Fort Hood, Texas when he heard the news that the remains  had been discovered in the Mississippi River. Since that June day, he has searched for justice for the two teenagers.  He had to wait over 40 years to find out the circumstances of their kidnapping, torture and eventual murder at the hands of James Ford Seale and other Ku Klux Klan members.  Eventually, he and Canadian Broadcast Journalist David Ridgen were able to gather enough evidence to convince the Federal Attorney to take the case to trial.  Thomas is a Vietnam veteran, he retired as an E-9 Command Sergeant Major, and now lives in Colorado Springs where he serves as deacon at his church, and works to keep the memory of his brother Charles and Henry Dee alive.

Gwen Webb

Rev. Gwendolyn Cook Webb grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, and became a student leader in the Children’s Movement at just fourteen years old after hearing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speak at Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. Guided by the teachings of Dr. James Bevel, she helped lead nonviolent demonstrations that challenged segregation and transformed Birmingham during the Civil Rights Movement. Later in life, Webb answered a calling to ministry and became one of the first Black female police officers in Birmingham. Her story of faith, courage, and perseverance inspires Sojourn students to believe in the power of ordinary people to create extraordinary change.

Kyland Young

Kyland Young is a television personality, entrepreneur, and advocate best known for his appearances on Big Brother, The Challenge, and The Amazing Race. Beyond television, his work focuses on leadership, inclusion, and creating meaningful social impact. A passionate voice for neurodiversity and autism awareness, he brings personal insight and advocacy to conversations about equity, accessibility, and belonging. Through his work with Sojourn, Kyland encourages students to lead with empathy, curiosity, and courage while exploring how history, identity, and human connection can inspire positive change in their communities.