Newswise — Why do racial equality and understanding elude our nation almost half a century after the civil rights movement was supposed to solve the problems? Leaders of the National Coalition Building Institute (http://www.ncbi.org/home/index.cfm) and Facing History and Ourselves (http://www.facinghistory.org/campus/reslib.nsf) — two national organizations dedicated to erasing prejudice—believe that progress begins with bringing people together for meaningful conversations. But ask any city official or civil rights advocate in major cities, and they will tell you such conversations are all too rare.
In Memphis, Rhodes College, a top private liberal arts college, has for years brought diverse people with different perspectives together for meaningful dialogues about race. Its latest effort, Crossroads to Freedom, is among its most ambitious efforts to help Memphis heal and move forward.
To most people, Memphis today conjures up images of Elvis, barbeque and the blues on Beale Street. But Memphis also elicits memories of that horrible day almost 40 years ago when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. Dr. King's murder is something that causes many Americans to lower their chins or wring their hands, but the pain is palpable among longtime Memphis residents.
Most American metropolitan areas face problems left over from the days prior to the civil rights movement—problems tied to persistent poverty and lack of access to quality education. Problems that morph into crime, drug dependency and more poverty. When Memphis residents hear news reports about communities struggling with racially-divisive issues, they nod knowingly, understanding that there is much more to be done.
Ostensibly, Crossroads to Freedom is a digital archive of primary materials that documents the civil rights era in Memphis, including the records of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights hearings held there 1962, the papers of a noted civil rights activist, oral histories of everyday people of all backgrounds—the cook at the Lorraine Hotel (the site of the assassination), Dr. King's close friend who stood beside him on the balcony that night, white school teachers who experienced desegregation—and people of both races who were just trying to take care of their families, educate their children and be good citizens.
Rhodes' goal in pursuing this project is even larger than capturing the everyday life of people in Memphis during the era of the black freedom struggle. While the educational and historical value of the rich stories and documents that would otherwise never see the light of day is undisputed, Crossroads to Freedom is just as important for its efforts to foster conversations among people of all ages and backgrounds.
The next such conversation, to be led by civil rights activist and Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient Benjamin Hooks, will occur at Rhodes on January 22 in celebration of the birthday of Dr. King. Billed as "A Conversation with Benjamin Hooks," the event will be multi-generational with students from a neighboring middle school reading their essays and poetry about Dr. King as well as Rhodes students playing major roles. It will be open to the public and a broad spectrum of Memphis community members are expected to participate.
One highlight will be a dramatic reading by Rhodes senior Jazamin Miller. "The problem I see between the races on the Rhodes campus, in Memphis and in the world is that we focus on our differences," says Miller. "Everywhere I go I hear people say, 'This is wrong because they"¦' The problems escalate because people aren't good at seeing our own faults and what we contribute to causing the misunderstandings."
Following Miller's performance and remarks from Reverend Hooks, the conversations will extend to the audience.
Student Crossroads to Freedom project manager Francesca Davis is optimistic that the event will help to heal racial tensions. "Coming to Rhodes from a public, predominantly African American high school was an unexpected culture shock," says Davis. "I found that different races and classes of people were not well integrated and I was pushed out of my comfort zone for the first time. Working with Crossroads has helped me understand the issues and to see others' points of view. I'm very hopeful that these conversations will do the same for others."
A Tradition of Engaging Racial Discussions, Fostering Healing
Over the years, Rhodes has created programs different from Crossroads, but similar in that a common impact is interracial dialogue:
"¢ Through an initial grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Rhodes has established the Rhodes Hollywood Springdale Partnership, a community outreach program in the area northwest of campus, known as the zip code with the highest infant mortality rate in the nation. Today, Rhodes and community partners have improved conditions in housing, crime prevention, health education and student success."¢ Through its Institute for Regional Studies, Rhodes students and faculty experience "cultural immersion" as they conduct primary research into the history, economy, politics, religion, music—in short, into the life of the Mid-South region."¢ Through the college's archaeology program, students and professors are studying Ames Plantation in Fayette County, and they are finding that there are widely held misconceptions about the everyday lives of black and white plantation residents in the antebellum South. "¢ Through a National Endowment for the Humanities grant, Rhodes and Jackson State University (a historically black university in Mississippi) offer high school and community college teachers a program called, "From Freedom Summer to the Sanitation Workers' Strike" that enhances their understanding of and ability to teach their students about the civil rights movement. "¢ Rhodes participates in "The Big Read," a National Endowment for the Arts program to promote reading and literary appreciation. This year's book discussions on campus and in the community explored themes in "To Kill A Mockingbird." "¢ The Rhodes Learning Corridor includes partnerships with four nearby public schools and other neighboring educational organizations, in an effort to extend educational opportunities for Rhodes students beyond the classroom and into the immediate Memphis community. Through the Learning Corridor, Rhodes students partner with public school students as they study the world around them in exciting and challenging environments.
"Given the feedback we have received from these programs and the initial reactions to Crossroads, we feel our efforts are making a difference," says Rhodes president William E. Troutt. "What would happen if colleges and universities around the nation started to organize conversations within their communities? Only good things, if our experience is any indication."
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