One day the South will know that when these disinherited children of God sat down at lunch counters they were in reality standing up for the best in the American dream and the most sacred values in our heritage, and thusly, carrying our whole nation back to those great wells of democracy which were dug deep by the founding fathers.
Martin Luther King, Jr. 16 April 1963
Thirty Foreverfamily children, their caregivers, dozens of volunteers, community activists, storyteller Akbar Imhotep, and the remarkable staff of the Center for Civil and Human Rights gathered in July for our 2018 back to school party! We celebrated the “great wells of democracy” that Dr. King wrote about while sitting in a Birmingham jail cell. The children saw and experienced how civic action makes democracy possible.
After a catered lunch in the Center’s Glenn Room, docents Nikki, Andrew, and Milan guided us through the center in four age-centered groups. The caregivers had their own docent (Andrew) and as you can see in the video clip below, he is fantastic!
We then gathered back in the Glenn Room for Akbar Imhotep’s civil rights storytelling, followed by inspiring testimony by activists Nathaniel Smith and Jamida Orange.
All the children left with a new backpack filled with school supplies.
Special thanks to the Center’s Operation Inspiration Donors and the generosity of all the Center’s staff.