Markeisha Jordan

My trip to Birmingham , Ala. , allowed me to reflect on my history, and through that reflection I learned some meaningful lessons. The first of these I experienced the moment I stepped off the bus and laid eyes on Birmingham. I began to envision myself being an actual resident there during the 1950s. Immediately, I was in a puzzled state of mind; I did not know what to think, nor did I know what to say.

This feeling was caused by seeing a church called Sixteenth Street Baptist Church , where in 1963 four little black girls were killed by a bomb. I was able to view the outside corner of the church where the bomb hit (which is still in need of repair). I was also able to view the church from the inside, sitting in the pews where the four little girls used to sit every Sunday. As I continued to roam the church, I came to the area where the little girls were killed. The time I spent in Sixteenth Street Baptist Church made me realize that these girls were not that much younger than me; their innocent lives were taken away from them within a blink of an eye.

I was also privileged to experience the actual neighborhoods and homes of Birmingham that were bombed by the Ku Klux Klan. (I had learned before coming to the city that because there were so many bombings going on, Birmingham was sometimes called “Bombingham.”) As I looked at the homes, I could envision people being asleep, unaware that a bombing was going to take place on their home.

After a while, I began to get a little emotional because of the thought of people who would go to such lengths to keep segregation in place.

The ride back home allowed me to think about what I learned from my many experiences in Birmingham , where I envisioned so much suffering. Through this experience, I was able to learn that the residents of Birmingham continued to have a steadfast spirit and faith in God through all of the adversities they were forced to face. This experience in many ways was meaningful, educational and thought-provoking. Since the trip, I have been compelled to share my experience with my peers, educating them on a culture that suffered greatly but successfully overcame that suffering. I thank God for Birmingham , Ala. It has taught me in numerous ways as a young African-American woman to know that God is still in control of this world.

— Markeisha Jordan