What Sets Us Apart
Social Justice Education
Award winning educators in culturally responsive teaching
What Sets Us Apart
Social Justice Education
Award winning educators in culturally responsive teaching
Sojourn to the Past has been a nationally recognized program for its 20 years of transformative Civil Rights Journeys to the Southern United States. To date, Sojourn has taken 10,000 people on 98 educational immersion programs to the Deep South and taken students, teachers, parents, administrators, community members, corporate leaders, and foundation leaders. When Covid-19 hit, Sojourn had the opportunity to reinvent itself. In that spirit, after much thought, Sojourn has accomplished its task. Sojourn has taken the best of its curriculum and put it into a digital format for educational institutions (ranging from grammar schools to colleges), corporations, professional sports teams and philanthropic foundations. Please see our virtual program in the write up below and we are very excited to continue this most important transformative work.
Thirteen – 30 minutes, in depth virtual lessons of untold stories of the civil rights movement.
These include amazing film footage and primary source material (see below for the 13 stories and links). Also included are lesson plans for each story, including an art and music component. All lessons are ultimately designed to support anti-racist education with specific focus on individuals not featured in traditional history texts. A culturally responsive approach highlights the lessons of non-violence, language as a form of violence, institutionalized racism, personal courage and the power/responsibility of individual voice to speak out against injustice, voting rights and voter suppression.
There is also our Premium Package which includes:
Speakers are available to speak to your school, individual classes or your district
Speakers are available to speak to your corporation, sports franchise, and philanthropic foundation
If schools want the expanded lesson, Sojourn can provide those expanded lessons, including either a live lesson or a recorded lesson. These are much longer than the pre-paid package ranging from 90 minutes to 3 hours depending on what is requested. Price to be determined.
Anti-racism facilitators to do live or recorded discussions related to each lesson or any topic the educator wishes for them to address. The facilitators are Spirit Trickey Tawfiq (daughter of Minnijean Brown Trickey of the Little Rock Nine), and Kenneth Mason, an expert and gifted anti-racism facilitator. Price to be determined.
Untold Civil Rights Stories
*Premium Package
(Speakers based on availability)
Emmett Till
Emmett Till is considered the beginning of the Modern Civil Rights Movement. The story of this 14-year-old boy, showed America the ugliness of institutionalized racism at its most profound. Power of language and language as a form of violence is instrumental in his story.
Wheeler Parker was in the house when Emmett Till was kidnaped.
Minnijean Brown-Trickey
Minnijean Brown Trickey is one of the Little Rock Nine and was the only one of the Nine to be expelled. This is a story about the empowerment of young women and that every woman deserves to feel Beautiful and Proud. Her story personifies the power of having one’s authentic voice heard and her determination to get an education know matter the adversity.
Elizabeth Eckford
Elizabeth Eckford is one of the Little Rock Nine and the photo on the left is one of the most iconic photos of the 20th century. The story of Elizabeth Eckford is about the perils of bullying and how racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic language is a form of violence.
Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth
Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth is one of the Big 3 of the Civil Rights Movement and is another one of the many unknown people who changed America. He was one of the architects that led to the end of segregation in the USA. His story is about personal courage in the face of extreme adversity.
Sephira Shuttlesworth shares her husband’s story.
Medgar & Myrle Evers
Medgar and Myrle Evers were pioneers in making America truly stand up for its ideals. In the most racist state in America, this couple fought for voting rights and to end segregation and paid the highest price one can pay for their activism. Their story is about civic responsibility and the fight for a better life for one’s children, even upon paying the ultimate price.
Reena Evers-Everette is the daughter of Medgar and Myrlie Evers and shares her parent’s story of courage and bravery and her fight to keep her parent’s legacy alive.
The Four Little Girls
The Four Little Girls are the epitome of what happens when hatred runs amok in society. This was truly the bomb that shattered a city and woke up a nation and left children to pay the price for nations ignorance. This story is about how language is a form of violence and how young people cannot be “silent witnesses” to injustice.
Sarah Collins Rudolph and Lisa McNair, sisters of The Four little girls. Sarah was blinded in the Church bombing.
Freedom Summer
Freedom Summer in Mississippi 1964 shows the power of young people to make society change during America’s most turbulent times. Freedom Summer shows the power of the vote, and how voter suppression is a powerful tool to stop the right to vote. Extreme courage is evident in the young people changing America during Freedom Summer.
Bob Moses was one of the chief architects of Freedom Summer. Go to Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner for primary source material.
James Chaney, Andy Goodman, and Michael Schwerner
James Chaney, Andy Goodman and Michael Schwerner are three young men who paid the ultimate price as young people fighting for the right to vote during Freedom Summer. Their story is also the power of young people to create social change.
Angela Lewis, James Chaney’s daughter, was born 10 days before her father was murdered, shares her father’s story.
Selma
Selma is considered the birthplace of modern America as the example of where the voting rights act was enacted. Selma is also the crown jewel in America of community activism for social change.
Joanne Bland, who was 11 years old on Bloody Sunday on the bridge, shares her Selma story of Bloody Sunday.
Clark Olsen & Jim Reeb
Clark Olsen and Jim Reeb – After Bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama in 1965, these two white preachers came to Selma to support the voting rights struggle even though they both had the right to vote. One of these men was murdered in Selma, while the other was beaten. This story is about putting oneself on the line for something bigger than themselves as well as the civic responsibility to be engaged in the voting process.
Anna Olsen, wife of Clark Olsen, speaks on what it means to have a broken heart. Ann Reeb and Leah Reeb, daughter and Granddaughter of Jim Reeb, share their father/grandfather’s story.
The Dahmer Family
The Dahmer family is the truest example of dedicating one’s life for the right to vote and the steep price this family paid for that right. The Dahmer’s are one of too many untold stories that are about the essence of the United States of America. The Dahmer story is a story of an all-American family dedicating their lives to the right to vote and pursuing justice in the face of adversity.
Harold, Dennis and Betty Dahmer are the children of Vernon Dahmer Sr. who were in the house the night their father was murdered and they share his story.
Jerry Mitchell
Jerry Mitchell is the leading cold case Civil Rights reporter in the country. Because of Jerry’s tenacious pursuit of justice, he is the thread between the Evers’ story, Chaney, Goodman and Schwerner’s story, the Dahmer’s story and the Four Little Girls’ story and their killers being brought to justice.
Jerry Mitchell recent wrote a best-selling account of investigating civil rights cold cases.
Memphis – The Death of Dr. King
Memphis – The Death of Dr. King involves the poorest amongst society rising to gain their share of the American Pie and how Dr. King led this economic change was an instrumental factor in his assassination. This story involves the power of language and that it does not matter how long one lives, but how well they live and what they do with the time allotted them.
Testimonials
Sojourn has made several presentations to high schools, corporations and professional sports teams. Here are some testimonials from those who have attended.
“We just had our debrief from your visit – the kids were sharing the quotes from the classkick and our conversations was so much richer with the information they gleaned from your presentation. Thank you for taking the time for us and especially than you for providing the kids with the opportunity to earn college credit. Excited for next steps :)”
~ Ethnic Studies High School Teacher
“Thank you for engaging, informative, and (more than ever) extremely important presentation. The kids were really blown away and took fabulous notes and one attended my Flex Time to thank me for the opportunity – I feel it only necessary to THANK YOU! Your work is inspirational and greatly appreciated!”
~ Ethnic Studies High School Teacher
“I am a 9th grade Ethnic Studies student. I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for speaking to us. I had no idea who Reverend Shuttlesworth was, and I am thankful that I got an opportunity to learn about his life. I also had never learned about the 4 Little girls, and that story broke my heart. I admire what you are doing because you are teaching the youth, like me, about such important history. I hope we will be able to go on the trip because I think that it will be life changing. Thank you again!”
~ Ethnic Studies High School Student
“I just wanted to let you know how enlightening I found your presentation about the Civil Rights Movement. Having the opportunity to learn about the courageous acts and sacrifices people have made to change the world was incredible, given we don’t often hear their stories in school. Once again, thank you for spending the time to talk to us about these amazing leaders.”
~ Ethnic Studies High School Student
“It was super interesting! This will be my first voting for president since I became citizen early 2017.
I loved learning about the history of heroes that opened the path for people like me to vote.”
I loved learning about the history of heroes that opened the path for people like me to vote.”
~ Employee at Professional Sports Team
“It was great having you present to the group at such a pivotal in our nation’s journey. Thank you so much for the information as well as the passion. Let’s move the ball forward for future generations.”
~ Employee at Professional Sports Team
“Thank you again for joining us and presenting your historical perspective of voting rights in America. The untold story of the Dahmer family resonated with me in so many ways. My hope is that one day these types of narratives will be included in our US History textbooks.”
~ Employee at Professional Sports Team
“Thanks for your nice note! Echoing everyone’s sentiments and sending a GIANT thank you for bringing your passion and important lessons to our Front Office yesterday. Happy more people know about the Dahmer Family now and will be inspired to learn more stories like theirs.”
~ Employee at Professional Sports Team
