Story submitted by Rev. Larry Chitwood
On February 4th, a diverse group of 47 folks left the snow and ice of Tennessee and Kentucky behind to journey together by bus on a Racial Healing / Racial Justice Pilgrimage to Selma and Montgomery, AL. The Pilgrimage was sponsored by the TWK Anti-Racism Coalition and designed by Signposts Groups. Pilgrims engaged in sharing their stories and hearing the stories of those active in the struggle for justice in the past and of those engaged in the work today.
The Pilgrims visited historic sites in Selma, AL connected to the struggle for Civil Rights including Foot Soldiers Park, Brown’s Chapel AME Church, and a Confederate Cemetery. After lunch they walked across the Edmund Pettis Bridge – the site of Bloody Sunday – then traveled down Freedom Highway to Montgomery. Between Selma and Montgomery, the Pilgrims stopped to hear the story of Viola Liuzzo at a memorial erected near the site where she was martyred in 1965.
The following Day the Pilgrims visited the Equal Justice Initiative’s Legacy Sites Museum in Montgomery. While in Montgomery, the Pilgrims were provided space by historic Metropolitan United Methodist Church and Rev. Richard Clark for small groups and worship. Rev. Clark and his team at Metropolitan also provided time and a safe space for Pilgrims to process their experiences and adjust to the spiritual and emotional weight of the stories they had heard on the journey. The Pilgrims took part in Drum Circles and received Holy Communion to close their time in Montgomery.
On the journey home, Pilgrims were encouraged to share the stories they had heard and to share their own stories with others. They were also asked to invite 1 other person to discern and imagine their next steps in the journey for Racial Justice and Racial Healing. The TWK Anti-Racism Coalition has grants available for churches and small groups ready to join in disrupting and dismantling racism. Additionally, the Signposts Team is available to help churches and small groups engage in the work of Racial Healing / Racial Justice. Additionally,
TWK Anti-Racism Coalition Offers Racial Justice Grants – TWKUMC
Signposts Information: info@signposts.org
