Civil Rights comes to life in Washington, D.C.

Nancy Stoler, who has led 16 tours with Smithsonian Student Travel, recently returned from a trip to Washington, D.C. Here she shares the powerful experience her group had while meeting with their congresswoman. 

Each year when planning for our 8th grade trip to Washington, D.C., I wonder who we may meet, or what unusual experience we might have.  While visiting Washington in May, 2010, we did have a powerful experience while meeting with our Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ).

Representative John Lewis (D-GA) was walking by, and Congresswoman Giffords asked him to say a few words to our group.  He did more than that, and for the time he was with us, I felt as though the pages of our history book came alive.  We had just finished a Civil Rights unit in class before our trip, and it brought tears to my eyes for our group to meet someone who was so involved and well known in this subject.

He explained that he had marched for the right to vote, he was a Freedom Rider on the buses that crossed interstate lines, he demonstrated in sit-ins and had even been arrested more than 40 times during that period in American history.  However, I believe the highlight of meeting him was when he talked about being on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial when Dr. King gave his "I Have a Dream" speech.  His staffers had posters with the pictures of some of these events that they showed us.

This was a teaching moment unlike any I have ever had.  It is because we take these trips that our students can witness history with their own eyes.  They truly have memories that will last a lifetime.

 
Nancy Stoler and her group with John Lewis