26 Jul Racing Against Time

I feel like this week time has gotten away from me. I planned on going to Birmingham to see the Civil Rights National Monument, but there seemed to be too many meetings or things to do in the office. The other day we held a meeting a the Greyhound Bus station to discuss a grant project for possibly funding the statue for the Freedom Riders. I definitely felt the pressure, and I wasn’t even talking! I’m learning all about business attire and how to act during those professional business meetings. Of course, I mostly just sit and listen, but it’s an incredible experience to be a part of. Here is a picture of Tiffany and I after the meeting. I also was able to take a picture during the meeting when they were discussing the national park. On another note, Pete and I went and visited Mr. Emerson. He played a very important part in the history of the Freedom Riders. He helped the Freedom Riders after the bus burned down. I know it seems simple, but Pete and I like to keep up with all the people who helped the Freedom Riders like Mr. Emerson. His birthday was the other day, so we decided to stop and make a visit to see how he was doing, The biggest thing that I am learning is that this story is about community, and that means a lot of interaction with the Anniston community. Visiting people like Mr. Emerson is, of course,  just a good thing to do, but it is also a great way to project positive energy about the story of the Freedom Riders. Lastly, I wanted to mention who I met today. I met a man named Michael Brown, who actually happens to be a therapist but is highly interactive with the Freedom Rider project. Mr. Brown wants to get involved in any way he can and there has been some talk of him helping with the field schools, which basically means helping plan programs involving the history of the Freedom Riders that interact with students. Now, these are just ideas and possibilities, but I think its pretty awesome to see all these people in this community care so much that they will do anything to see the effort thrive.