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EMU Civil Rights Road Trip: Freedom Summer Then and Now (Outgoing Program) Print  Save  Share
  • Locations: Clarksdale, MS, United States; Kosciusko, MS, United States; Memphis, TN, United States;
  • Program Terms: Winter Intersession
  • Budget Sheets: Winter Intersession
  • This program is currently not accepting applications.
Dates / Deadlines:

There are currently no active application cycles for this program.
Fact Sheet:
Fact Sheet:
Language of Instruction: English Click here for a definition of this term Program Type: Faculty-Led Domestic
Field of Study: All majors are welcome, General Education Requirement, Political Science
Program Description:

Civil Rights Road Trip: Freedom Summer Then and Now

Civil Rights  Civil Rights2

Courses: PLSC 479 or PLSC 592
Credits: 3
Eligibility: Open to all EMU students in good academic standing. Must be at least 18 years old at time of travel.

Program Overview
The Civil Rights Road Trip: Freedom Summer Then and Now represents an opportunity for students to explore the history and current status of civil rights in Mississippi and neighboring states. We utilize Freedom Summer and the deaths of three civil rights workers in the Summer of 1964 as our pivot point in teaching today's students what a group of students did to change the course of a nation. We expose students to the current legal, social, and economic issues confronting racial minorities sixty years later. The subtext is: What are you willing to do about it?

Their journey is a tour de force of the interactive impacts of social movements, religion, economics, law, culture, and social realities. Students receive opportunities to speak with student volunteers from '64 and current students in HBCUs. They sit in the box used by the Emmit Till. They hear the gospel, blues, and folk music that entertains and informs people of their shared struggles. They see current segregation and separation in the school systems and the impact it brings, as well as poverty and a scale most have never experienced nor thought exists in the U.S. of today. They touch a town called Mound Bayou. A black town that rose from emancipation and served as a national example of economic empowerment for black communities for 100 years. Finally, students meet uncommon people who served as the backbone of the civil rights movement. Their stories may be missing from the history books but students will not ignore them.

This course has been taught on three other occasions and serves as a cornerstone of the University's new Civil Rights Center. The trip has also opened students and the University to opportunities to engage with HBCUs and numerous small organizations and institutes that celebrate the pivotal role of people like Ida B Wells, Fanny Lou Hammer, Emmett Till, and James Meredith. The opportunities for shared growth between EMU and these institutions are endless and will have an uncalculatable impact on all involved.

On-Campus Class Meetings
This course is a winter term course and students are expected to meet for mandatory class meetings during the winter term before travel. Times and locations will be announced to accepted students.

Financial Aid and Scholarships
Financial aid and many EMU scholarships can be applied to the tuition and fees for this program. Visit the Office of Financial Aid for more information

Instructor Information
Dr. Barbara Patrick is a professor and the Department Head for Political Science here at EMU.  Professor Barry Pyle, Ph.D. teaches various Political Science courses at Eastern Michigan University.

 


This program is currently not accepting applications.