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  2023-07

  Boston & Italy During Covid; Civil Rights Trip 2023

  Prior to the world-stopping "Covid Times," my friends and I had planned to travel to Boston, MA. We were going to watch a Braves v. Red Sox game, visit Salem and the Freedom Trail in Boston. We had tickets, airfare, lodging etc. Then the world shut down. Because of life circumstances, we had to delay further after the world opened back up, and decided to shift gears and take a different trip. This would be a Civil Rights trip in the Summer of 2023. Again, life circumstances created the need to adjust. Two members of our group (half of us) were no longer able to travel, so myself and the other member of our group went. The trip was great. We flew into NC, then drove to Charleston where we spent a couple days. It was great because we were able to visit several places which were very impactful to both of us. McLeod Plantation was a wonderful & educational experience. We were given a fantastic guided tour where we learned much about the enslaved people who made the plantation function, and then about their descendants, some of whom lived there until the 1990's. We also visited the Old Slave Mart which was one of the most prominent sites in Charleston for slave sales. It has now been turned into a museum and memorial. From Charleston, we visited Savannah. We were only there about 12 hours, but were able to visit the house of a very prominent slave trader and see the living and working quarters of the people enslaved there. From there, we went to Atlanta (I got to watch a game at Truist Park!) for the night, and then on to Montgomery. If we could do it again, I would spend much more time in Montgomery. We visited the Legacy Museum which was, in a phrase, life changing. The experience was phenomenal and extremely visceral. I think it is something every American should experience at least once. We spent the whole day, and barely scratched the surface. And that was just the museum and monument. From Montgomery we drove to Selma and were able to walk the Edmund Pettus Bridge. We also drove around town a little and were able to see some of the churches, and neighborhood that were so influential in the Civil Rights Movement and the powerful Selma to Montgomery March. From there, we went to Memphis where we visited the National Civil Rights Museum. That was also a wonderful experience. This was such an awe-inspiring trip. It was very quick, but it was fantastic. It is a trip that I would take again though next time for longer.