American South
Activism & Leadership Through the Lens of the American Civil Rights Movement
This program provides students the opportunity to tie the past to the present by understanding the history of the Civil Rights Movement and considering its current iterations in America’s political and social climate. We will explore activism in action by examining the myriad leadership styles and strategies employed by trailblazers of the Civil Rights Movement and using those lessons to inspire students to be leaders in their own communities.
We will begin our program in Atlanta, GA, by delving into the early life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We will make stops throughout Alabama where we will visit such iconic sites as The Rosa Parks Bus Stop in Montgomery, The Legacy Museum in Birmingham and Edmund Pettis Bridge in Selma. We will end our trip in Memphis, TN, with live music and dancing at BB King’s Blues Club on Beale Street, where black traveling musicians started performing as early as the 1860s. Students will return from this trip with greater empathy for the diverse perspectives present in the American South throughout history and today. Students will return to campus empowered with a greater sense of engagement and an eagerness to raise their voices and practice expressive freedom as leaders in a rapidly changing world.
Program Notes
- This program conflicts with the March 8 SAT test date.
- Families are responsible for transportation from the Memphis, TN, airport to the student’s destination for the remainder of March break. This is not embedded in the cost of the trip.
- During this trip, students will stay in hotels and inns, sharing meals at accommodations and restaurants.
- As part of Deerfield’s commitment to face-to-face interactions, students will be “unplugged” during certain times of the trip and will not have access to cell phones.
- Students and faculty leaders will update families and friends at home through our Notes From The Field blog.
Program dates
March 8 – March 15, 2025
Program Eligibility
This program is open to all students with a preference towards those who are interested in activism, leadership, and American history. Financial Aid is available to all qualifying students.
Faculty Trip Leaders
Jim Perry
estimated cost: $5,000
This price is subject to change depending on enrollment numbers and flight costs. The final price will be set before initial deposits and enrollment paperwork are due.
2025 Preliminary Itinerary
*Itinerary is subject to change.
This itinerary begins on March 8, with students flying from New England to Atlanta, GA, where they will have an orientation and welcome dinner the following day. On March 10-11, activities in Atlanta include visiting the Martin Luther King Jr. Historic Park and the Apex Museum, participating in a service project with Hands on Atlanta, exploring Little Five Points, and touring Morehouse, Spelman, and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. The group then drives to Montgomery, AL, to visit the National Memorial for Peace and Justice and the Legacy Museum.
Next, students travel to Selma and Birmingham, AL, where they will visit the Freedom Rider Museum, Civil Rights Memorial Center, and walk the Edmund Pettus Bridge. On March 14, they visit the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute before heading to Memphis, TN, for dinner and live music at BB King’s Blues Club. The trip concludes with a flight home on Saturday, March 15.
** Families are responsible for transportation from the Memphis, TN airport to the student’s destination for the remainder of March Break.