For the thirteenth year, the Wynne Home Arts and Visitor Center hosted “Empty Bowls,” a worthy fundraiser that not only supports the arts, but which also fights hunger. Spearheaded by Wynne Home Staff Sarah Faulkner and Leara Phillips, the fundraiser brought in more than 100 people, raising more than $2,500 for the Senior Center in the non-profit’s efforts to fight hunger. For the LEAP Ambassadors, it is always a pleasure to help with a Wynne Home event, especially for such a worthy cause.
Approximately 200 people participated in bowl-making, either by actually working with Leara Phillips, ceramicists, or by working at Cork & Canvas to paint a bowl. Some of these bowls were selected for the silent auction, which are sold off to high bidders, with the funds also going to the Senior Center’s “Meals on Wheels” program. Other bowls were given to patrons who made a donation for lunch. The main lunch sponsor was HEB, with 5 Loaves Deli, City Hall Cafe, Carbonero Chicken Rotisserie, and Floyd’s on 14th also donating some great soups!
For us, the tasks were pretty simple. We ladled soup or otherwise helped with food provision, we greeted people, and we cleaned up a bit. It was a great learning experience, too, not just to see how the fundraiser works, but also to meet new people. With three of the Ambassadors being freshmen, most people in Huntsville are new to us, and we had the privilege of meeting City staff (Aron Kulhavy, City Manager; Rick Rudometkin, new Deputy City Manager; Tammy Gann, Economic Development/Special Projects Director; Tourism Manager, Tracy Rikard; Jessica Lacy, Visitor Center Coordinator; and, of course, Cultural Services Manager Sarah Faulkner; and Wynne Home Events Coordinator Leara Phillips), elected officials (Councilmember Pat Graham), and many other delightful people.
And not only did we see some wonderful bowls…
…but we also had a chance to see some great art in the Wynne Home’s main gallery. John Rodak’s work is currently on display, and the exhibit showcases his intricate and wonderful art work.
But perhaps our favorite aspect of this event is that a LEAP Center intern originally brought this event to Walker County some thirteen years ago. For almost every year since then, LEAP Ambassadors have volunteered for the event in some capacity, a tradition we hope continues for many more years.
Empty Bowls, 2018
Many thanks to the Sarah Faulkner and Leara Phillips of the Wynne Home Arts & Visitor Center and all of the sponsors for putting on another great event and helping a great cause!
For the 14th years, the LEAP Center has offered students the opportunity to take a real LSAT, without the stress and pressure of a score that counts. This is a crucial part of getting to law school: learning your current score so that you can develop a study plan that will get you a score that you want.
This semester, we had forty-three students sign up for LSAT, and we returned to an in-person (with masks and social distancing) format. Thirty-seven of those students showed up on a Saturday morning to take a four-hour test!
The real LSAT has been modified somewhat as a result of COVID, but beginning in August 2021, students will take four sections on test day: Analytical Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, and an Experimental Section. Finally, students will also do a writing sample, although this does not need to be done on test day (it can be submitted about a week before or after).
There are more than 200 law schools in the US, and about 170 of these have a solid or strong record of students passing the bar and gaining employment. To get into one of these latter schools, students need an LSAT of about 150 or higher, with the very highest-ranked law schools looking for LSAT scores of about 175 or more.
As you might expect, the Mock LSAT scores, on average, aren’t as high as many students would like. That’s not a huge issue, because we encourage students to take the Mock LSAT “cold,” with no pre-studying. Once they get their baseline score, they can begin studying, take the Mock LSAT each semester, track their progress, and then as their official test date draws near, they can assess whether they want to take an LSAT Prep Course.
Over the past decades, these efforts have paid off. For the past dozen years, SHSU has consistently ranked in the LSAC’s “Top Feeder Schools” to law schools. Out of the 2,775 or so four-year degree-granting institutions in the US, SHSU ranks around 110 (top 4 percent) as a law school feeder. It’s one of the many programs that have grown in stature at SHSU, and we are excited for the students who are in law school now and those who will be enrolling soon!
Shortly after spring break, the PLS met up for our second meeting of the Spring semester. This meeting was special because this was the first meeting since the Covid-19 pandemic that darkened the world back in 2020 that we had our first in-person guest speakers.
We had the great honor to have Walker County District Attorney Will Durham and his first assistant Stuart Hughes come and visit our organization and give us insight on what it is like to work in the DA’s office and what kind of cases they encounter.
Will Durham graduated in 1989 from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in management. After that, he went to law school at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio in 1992. Former D.A. David Weeks hired Durham out of law school as a misdemeanor and juvenile prosecutor. Soon after, he was promoted to felony prosecutor, where he handled many types of felony cases in district courts.
Durham practiced private law for many years with attorney Mance Michael Park in a firm called Park & Durham (now known as Park Law Firm) located in Huntsville, TX. Durham was sworn in January 2019, after the previous DA was in office for almost twenty-five years.
Durham explained that the D.A.’s office gets about 2,000 cases per year, which the office goes through to determine which cases to take to a grand jury, which then determines which cases should be prosecuted.
Nine out of the twelve jurors have to say yes for the case to go to court.
After he explained the process of how cases get an indictment, he went through his staff and the positions that exist in a District Attorney’s office, which range from positions that require a law degree, to others that require nothing but a good work ethic.
They then answered some questions about jobs and how we might work our way up in positions, and gave us more knowledge of everything each position does. When they were done with their portion of the information about the office, they showed us a slide show with the “10 Commandments of Cross-Examination” as well as clips from films featuring cross examination.
When they wrapped up their presentation, they watched two groups go through a cross-examination scenario and they gave us great feedback.
We are very appreciative of their spending an evening talking to us.
To end the meeting, our president, Quinn, did some housekeeping alongside with our VP of Finance Leslie Canchola Rangel, who discussed our finances. Quinn discussed our last meeting of the semester, the mock trial, which will be held on April 21st.
With a random number generator in hand, Val Ricks, Professor at South Texas College of Law, introduced himself to 16 pre-law students who registered to attend a virtual Mock Law School class on March 3, 2021. The class was taught by Professor Val Ricks, whose qualifications include a Juris Doctorate from Brigham Young University’s J. Reuben Clark Law School, legal work as an associate attorney with Kirton & McConkle, and almost 25 years teaching at South Texas College of Law. The Mock Law School class is a unique partnership between SHSU’s Center for Law, Engagement, And Politics and South Texas College of Law.
The students came to class prepared; they had already read and briefed the case which involved a contract dispute between the singer Mariah Carey and her stepfather. After Professor Ricks recited the facts of the case, he used the random number generator to select a student to discuss the legal issue of the case. Employing the Socratic Method of questioning, Professor Ricks skillfully led the pre-law students through the analysis of the legal issues in the case, the rule of law, and how the court applied the rule of law.
In evaluating the Class, several students commented that the Mock Law School Class gave them an opportunity to experience the real feel of law school while still being an undergraduate. Jessica Cuevas was grateful for the “amazing opportunity for a glance into the future of how my law school experience may be like regarding study habits and classroom settings. Attending the Mock Law Class solidified my decision to attend law school.”
In working through the logic of the Mariah Carey case, Professor Ricks homed in on some specific word choices in the opinion and mentioned synonyms for the legal terms. In this way, Ricks alluded to how language and law are closely linked.
After discussing the case, Professor Ricks asked some thought-provoking questions regarding the policies underlying the rule of law in the case and whether the court reached the correct result. In addition, like a question on a final law school exam, Ricks presented a hypothetical set of facts and asked the class to analyze the issue of the hypothetical based on the facts. Then, using the Mariah Carey case as precedent, he asked how a court would rule on the issue in the hypothetical case and what reasoning the court would use.
Professor Ricks followed up with some valuable advice for the pre-law students. He explained that law school is about studying old settled law so that as a practicing attorney, you have confidence in applying the law correctly to new fact patterns presented by clients. He suggested that students in law school take the Socratic questioning by law professors in class as a challenge and an opportunity to have a conversation with the professor. Ricks emphasized that the process of learning the law and applying it is more important than the specific legal cases. Yvette Mendoza commented, “ I loved this last part of the class because I was able to ask the law professor questions about law school.”
Professor Ricks advised the students of the importance of clearing everything off their calendar and devoting time to law school, especially in the first year of law school. Ruona Odharo asked a question about paying for law school. Ricks pointed out that South Texas College of Law strives to keep tuition as low as possible.
In response to Yvette Mendoza’s question on whether a student needs to go to a prestigious law school to get a good legal job, Ricks said that every law school teaches the same material using the Socratic Method, and that “excellence depends on you.” A great lawyer can come from any law school.
After the winter storm delayed our first meeting of the Spring 2021 semester, we were at last able to meet. We had an excellent turnout, with 20 new members joining, bringing us to a total of 50 PLS members this semester!
President Quinn Kobrin introduced the officers to the new members and kicked off the meeting.
After a brief overview of how the Texas court system works, we were introduced to our guest speaker of the evening. We were fortunate enough to have Marcy Greer, an appellate attorney currently employed at Alexander, Dubose, & Jefferson. Greer joined our meeting to share with us some insight about her career and what it takes to be an attorney.
We learned that she studied History and French at Emory University where she graduated with her B.A. After starting law school at the same university, she decided to uproot and move with her fiancé to study law at the University of Houston Law Center.
Next, we learned exactly what being an appellate attorney entails. Mrs. Greer’s job is to find potential errors from trials which could warrant an appeal, such as inadmissible evidence being presented to the jury or improper jury selection being practiced. Greer will work with a client’s team during trials to guide them and tell them what might be grounds for an appeal, which she said is one of the best parts of her job.
She explained that a large portion of her job is also to persuade, by a written brief and possibly oral arguments, an appellate court to evaluate the trial court decision and to reverse or affirm that lower court decision. Mrs. Greer informed us that we can watch these arguments via Zoom and YouTube to see how the cases work and how the decisions are made.
Toward the end of her interview, she gave us some tips about law school. She said it might be in the best interest of a student who feels unprepared for law school to take a gap year and work, which can give the student the chance to mature and experience a professional environment. She told us to try our best in law school; to find a great study group with the same mentality and goals as you, go to class prepared and to treat law school as a job, because you will likely succeed and have better options when it comes to job opportunities if you do.
Once her speaking portion was complete, she did a Q&A with Pre-Law Society members:
Q: When did your daughter take her gap year?
A: She took it after she graduated from undergrad and before her first year of law school. During the break, she decided to start her own baking business which has taught her a bit about responsibility. She loves it.
Q: What can you tell us about your experience working in a clerkship?
A: Clerking for a judge is a lot of hard work, but it can also be incredibly rewarding. Greer explained that the judge she clerked for would not tell her what she expected, nor did she want to be told what people thought she wanted to hear. Greer was given complete autonomy to research cases and present her honest answer to whatever case was at hand.
Q: When is the best time to seek out Clerkships?
A: Try to find and apply during your 2L year.
After the Q&A, we thanked her for her information and advice. To finish off the meeting, President Quinn discussed upcoming events, including a Mock Trial that is expected to occur at the end of the Spring semester. The PLS members were stoked to sign up. This gives us all a great opportunity to study our roles and put them into action, all the while learning about the legal process! Our next meeting will be on March 24th, 2021.
As we entered the grounds of our third state capitol building of this trip, we were instantly taken aback by its impressive stature. Just like the Mississippi capitol, the Arkansas capitol stood tall, with a golden crown-like statue at the top.
Of course, like the other two capitols we visited, the Greek and Roman influence on the architecture was noticeable immediately from the large pillars and pediment at the entrance. The Arkansas capitol building’s construction began in 1899 and finished in 1914, making the capitol over 100 years old.
After making it through security, we made our way to the rotunda, where we were greeted by Ms. Cheryl Augustine, who was so kind to give us a quick rundown of where all the rooms were located, and we also got a glance at Governor Asa Hutchinson, who walked right by us.
Cheryl then led us to the fourth floor, where we entered the “Senate” gallery to watch the Senate convene. Getting to see the Senate in action was a fun experience because we had a closer look at what was happening, and we even watched as the State Senators voted on a bill.
So, we would like to extend a huge thank you to Cheryl for getting us in!
After seeing the senate proceedings, we thought we would take our chances and head over to the “House of Representatives” gallery to see if we would be able to go in there as well. Luckily, we were able watch the House in action too. The gallery of the House of Representatives is a beautiful large room with a tall gold chandelier hanging in the middle of the rotunda. The rotunda was also nicely crafted, with stained glass at the top that let in the light and brightened up the whole room, not to mention a pretty impressive VIP room.
Outside, in the capitol rotunda, the 4,000-pound chandelier hangs suspended from the ceiling, incorporating over 2,000 brass, copper, zinc, iron, and glass parts. On the third floor of the building, right above the grand staircases that led us to the House and the Senate, were four murals that each had a different theme. Over the south – which is where the Senate is – the “Education” and “Justice” murals stood. Over the north – where the House is – the “War” and “Religion” murals were.
Across the archway, we spotted two capitol officers that I just had to get a photo with, and lucky for me, they were nice enough to do so, which pretty much made my whole day.
After that, we headed to the old Arkansas Supreme Court room, which also embodied a lot of the Greek architecture that is visible throughout the rest of the Capitol, such as the pediments over the doors and the large pillars surrounding them.
As a final stop, we toured the grounds of the Capitol to see “Testament,” by John and Cathy Deering. This a monument to the Little Rock Nine, and it features statues of each of these civil rights’ heroes.
Compared to the other three capitols that I’ve been to, Arkansas has made its way to the top of my list, and I’m happy to say that I am now 4 out of 50 of the state capitols down!
The Little Rock Nine
Following the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954, not all states were eager to begin the desegregation of public schools. Little Rock, AR was notably reluctant, and with the support and “leadership” of Governor Orval Faubus, this reluctance turned to outright rebellion. So it was in 1957 that Dwight Eisenhower sent in federal troops to force integration at Little Rock Central High, bringing international attention to the civil rights movement in the United States.
When inside the Little Rock museum, we quickly realized how fearless the nine African Americans had to be to make it through the obstacles they faced. Although only a small minority of the community, and clearly not enjoying the support of most of Little Rock’s citizens, they remained steadfast.
Of the many inspirational quotes populating the museum…
…the one that most resonated was a paraphrase from the spiritual “I Don’t Feel No Ways Tired.” The concept of continuing to move forward despite exhaustion has a significant meaning within the African-American community, and it made me think where we would be if Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, and the Little Rock Nine hadn’t battled on.
Making this even more poignant was visiting the high school grounds. The campus is beautiful, and very large! Although under construction, we were able to get some photos of us at the structure where civil rights history was made.
This visit was a good reminder of how far we’ve come, while still being cognizant of how far we have to go. But, of course, we will not get tired!
Pinnacle Mountain State Park
Ilexus Williams
After visiting the Little Rock High School Historical Site, the LEAP students embarked on what seemed like our toughest adventure yet: hiking. Just outside of Little Rock, Arkansas sits Pinnacle Mountain State Park. The state park covers 2,356 acres and the mountain has an elevation of 1,011 feet. Additionally, the park encompasses both biking and hiking trails.
Our hiking trail of choice was the East Summit Trail! With strong will and determination, we started our 1.5 mile trek up East Summit Trail in a race to watch the sun set!
The beginning of our trail was a breeze, walking up a staircase of rocks. However, we came to the base of the mountain and faced what seemed like a sea of massive boulders. After digesting the overwhelming view, we started our ascent. Maneuvering our way through the rocks was very strenuous, so we took well-deserved breaks, which gave us a chance to enjoy the beautiful rolling plains behind us.
Finally, we reached the pinnacle, and it was breathtaking! The hard work that we put in to reach the top was fulfilling and well worth it. Being able to look out at the orange and pink hued sky and the expansive rolling hills gave us the opportunity to reflect on everything that we have experienced and allowed us to acknowledge how fortunate we are to take part on this trip. To paraphrase MLK, “we have been to the mountaintop,” and our experience was indescribable.
This morning, the LEAP students started the day with a visit to Kelly Ingram Park in Birmingham, Alabama. This memorial park, which holds a lot of history and tells many stories from the Civil Rights Movement, is named after Kelly Ingram, a firefighter and the first Birmingham service member (U.S. Navy) killed during World War I.
The Kelly Ingram Park was historically a meeting place for student-led protests. These protests were sparked after the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church that killed four African American girls. There is a sculpture in the park dedicated to the four girls.
During the time of the bombing, Theophilus Eugene “Bull” Connor was Commissioner of Public Safety in Birmingham. Bull Connor was not in favor of the Civil Rights Movement and during one protest, ordered that fire hoses and police attack dogs be used against protestors. Both of these actions are depicted through emotion-invoking, interactive sculptures that force visitors to walk through them to emulate the experience the protestors endured.
Many sculptures in the park replicate the momentous moments of the protests of the time. One that really stood out to me was that of jailed children with the inscription, “I ain’t afraid of your jail.” These words, referring to Bull Connor’s jailing of many children after a protest, seemed so powerful to me. The opposite side of the sculpture is an upside-down jail inscribed, “Segregation is a Sin.”
The meaning behind this sculpture is so strong to me because it depicts the courage these children had and conveys how they refused to back down. I believe the upside-down part of the sculpture represents a world upside-down, showing that it is wrong; directly across is the “perfect” world where things are done fairly. This sculpture, and others throughout this park, capture in time the powerful impact of the Civil Rights Movement.
Birmingham Museum of Art
Ilexus Williams
After concluding our stroll around Kelly Ingram Park, the LEAP students headed to their next destination: Birmingham Museum of Art. Birmingham Museum of Art was founded in 1951 and is considered one of the best regional museums in the United States. It is home to a collection of approximately 27,000 pieces of art from a diverse set of cultures, and includes Asian, American, European, African, Pre-Colombian, and Native American art.
For our first stop, we began our exploration in the American Art gallery. Unlike other countries, America only has a few art forms that are unique to the region, like jazz music and western movies. However, American painters were inspired by landscapes, especially Western American landscapes. This is best represented by Albert Bierstadt’s “Looking Down Yosemite Valley,” which gives a breathtaking view of sunrays beaming through Yosemite Valley, California.
Additionally, “Grand Canyon, Yellowstone River” by William Louis Sonntag shows a beautiful illustration of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone National Park, which one of our LEAP students has visited!
Another notable artist in the American Art Gallery is Charles Eugene Shannon. Although uncommon during the 1930s, Shannon liked to capture the everyday life of African Americans. His work entitled “Conversation Piece” depicts a shoeless African American couple drawn into conversation during the 1930s. Shannon took his inspiration from European style “conversation pieces,” which involved a group portrait of 17th century couples, family, and friends engaged in casual conversation.
Next, we moved to the most gratifying exhibit of the day: Jacob Lawrence: The American Struggle. This exhibit includes a series of 30 panels that illustrate a narrative of people of color struggling to fight for social equity from 1775-1817 in America.
The Paintings which I propose to do will depict the struggles of a people to create a nationand their attempt to build a democracy. – Jacob Lawrence, 1954
Among the 30 panels, Panel 5 stuck out to me. This panel portrays an enslaved African American man who looks disheartened after requesting the liberation of all enslaved people in the Province of Massachusetts Bay. This panel highlights the use of nonviolence, which alludes to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s philosophy and means to fight against injustice.
In Panel 8, Jacob Lawrence shows the image of a Native American family reuniting with each other. Sacagawea, who is depicted in red with a long, unraveling braid, is reconnecting with her brother, Shoshone Chief Cameahwait, after having been separated during their childhood. This image that Jacob Lawrence has created juxtaposes the images of the reunification of brother and sister with the horrific tragedies that would unfold against Native Americans, which included forced relocation, separation, and assimilation.
In this series, Jacob Lawrence also wanted to emphasize and honor the role that women played in American history. Panel 18 presents a woman at battle, who has a pistol strapped to her waist. She stands tall, although to the side, taking over her slain husband’s post, exuding courage and strength.
Jacob Lawrence’s exhibit gave a clear visual account of the struggles many Americans faced. This exhibit allowed us to revisit our nation’s past and recognize how far we have come, all while looking forward to our future.
We didn’t have much time, but we did get to walk through the sculpture garden where we saw a kinetic sculpture by George Rickey, a sculptor whose work we’ve seen before, and on this trip (Besthoff Sculpture Garden, NOLA). After concluding our time at BMA, we headed outside for a bit of a nature walk!
Birmingham Botanical Gardens
Ava Garrett
The Birmingham Botanical Gardens spans 67.5 acres and is made up of more than 30 thematic gardens. As we entered the white gates that led us into the gardens, we were met by yet another Jesús Moroles granite art sculpture. This one was called “Granite Garden,” which I thought was very fitting for the site. (Interestingly, we learned that the Japanese Garden was donated by the Japanese Ambassador to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.)
As we made our way to the Japanese Garden, we took in the garden’s stunning scenery along the long, spacious, winding path that leads to the various gardens. We knew we had arrived when we made our way onto the graveled path that took us under and through a beautiful red torii, a traditional Japanese gate commonly found at the entrance of a shrine. Symbolically, the torii marks the transition from mundane to sacred. The path led us through some breathtaking places, but our first stop was at a tea house, originally called a chashitsu. This house perfectly reflects the traditional Japanese architectural space that was used for tea ceremonies.
After marveling at the koi pond, our time in the gardens – and sunlight – began to run low, so we quickly made our way through a bamboo path (which was my favorite part of this garden).
It was a quaint trail loop and a great place for a photo op. The bamboo stood tall over the pathway, casting shadows, and when you looked up, the sun sparkled in between the branches, making the view even more enthralling.
Our final stop in the Birmingham Botanical Gardens was the Dunn Formal Rose Garden, which was aesthetically paved with red brick. We came to look at the Moon Tree, which was grown from a seed that once orbited the moon. The Moon Tree is an American Sycamore Platanus occidentalis tree and its seed came from a part of a space study that examined the effects of weightlessness on seed germination and growth. Of the 450 “moon seeds” planted, 420 of the trees were successful in growing. This Moon Tree was dedicated and planted in the Birmingham Botanical Gardens on February 25, 1976.
Although our visit was short, it was nice to get a breath of fresh air while walking through the garden.
Vulcan Park & Museum
Jessica Cuevas
To wrap things up on this sixth day, we ventured to the Vulcan Park & Museum. If you are wondering why there is a statue of Vulcan in Birmingham, it is because Vulcan is the Roman god of fire and forge, which is symbolic of the steel and iron industrial origins of the city of Birmingham.
The Vulcan Statue was built seven months before the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair to “represent” Birmingham, which puts it at well over a century old. Due to its massive scale, the Vulcan had to be constructed and built in two different cities. The statue is 56 feet tall and was designed by Giuseppe Moretti – a Tuscany sculptor who moved to Alabama in 1903 – as an indoor display, but when it was moved back to Birmingham, a pedestal and tower were built for it to stand on.
After seeing the tower from below, we were pumped to rise to the challenge of taking the stairs to the top of this tower – which is roughly 160 feet high – but to our disappointment, the staircase was closed. Instead, we took the beautiful glass elevator, which allowed us to see just how high we were going. Toping off the elevator trip was a see-through (metal grate) bridge that also allowed us to see the ground walking from the elevator to the tower’s observation area. I found this cool; others thought it scary.
The sight from the top of the tower was very beautiful and a sight worth seeing, especially since it ties back to the origins of the city of Birmingham. A very fitting end, I believe, to our day in this historic city.
On Day Five of our learning experiences with LEAP, we visited the Montgomery Riverfront Park in Alabama which runs along the bank of the Alabama River, which turned out to be a great start to our day!
We toured a few of their major attractions such as the Harriott II Riverboat, the Amphitheatre, and the Union Station Train Shed. The Harriott II Riverboat has a 19th century structural design and was originally named the Alabama Star.
Within walking distance from the docked riverboat is the Riverwalk Amphitheater, built in 2003, with an intentionally unique design that allows it to sustain flooding from the nearby river. In that same area was a small mural of Alabama’s State Capitol Building designed using tile blueprints of the Capitol, which I thought was very creative and neat.
At the pavilion, we had our picnic lunch from a local restaurant, Cahawba House, and were treated with a train traveling past. (Interestingly, the Union Station Train Shed, built in 1898, once housed six different train tracks from six different railroads up until it stopped operating in the 1970s.)
The pavilion is located right across and uphill from the amphitheater. It was too enticing, after lunch, so, in the area in front of the amphitheater, Jayelynn and Quinn had a race downhill. This race did not result in a winner; it was a two-way tie!
Montgomery Riverfront Park was also filled with storyboards telling the history of domestic slave trade. In 1808, Congress banned the importation of slaves. Although importing slaves was no longer legal, the demand for labor in the South increased because of the fluctuating price of cotton and the creation of the cotton gin. For fifty years, the slave traders transferred slaves from the upper south to Alabama. From 1808 to 1860 the slave population started at approximately 40,000 and increased to more than 435,000.
Rosa Parks Monument
Jayelynn Bordeaux
After concluding our time at the Montgomery Riverfront Park, we strolled to Court Square to honor a leading figure who helped spark the Civil Rights Movement in the United States: Rosa Parks.
The statue of Rosa Parks was revealed to the public on December 1, 2019 and is located near the bus stop where she refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus in 1955. Parks sparked the motivation for the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which was led by Martin Luther King, Jr. The Boycott asked all African American residents in Montgomery, Alabama to refuse to use public transportation. The Bus Boycott put a strain on the public transportation’s finances until the Supreme Court, in Browder v. Gayle, ruled that it is unconstitutional to have segregated busing, which forced the City of Montgomery to repeal its segregation law. On December 21, 1965, one victory of many had been won for the Civil Rights Movement due to Rosa Parks’ strength to stand firm for what she believed in.
Rosa Parks’ statue represents an enormous amount of strength: I found it inspiring and I’m sure it inspires many others.
I believe that this was a great step in history for African Americans that will never be forgotten, and it still resonates within society today. Rosa Parks left us with a lifelong lesson that is best captured in her words, “To bring about change, you must not be afraid to take the first step. We will fail when we fail to try.”
Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts
Ava Garrett
After visiting the Rosa Parks statue, we LEAPed to our third art museum on our trip. The Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) had an array of exhibits for us to see. The “Blow Up II” exhibit was filled with inflatable contemporary art, the Caddell Sculpture Garden was a beautifully front entrance designed to walk through before entering the actual museum, and a “Fact or Fiction” exhibit offered pieces designed to create a narrative and tell a story. Along with these exhibits, there were many permanent works on display as well, although the second-floor galleries were closed.
As we entered the Caddell Sculpture Garden, we immediately noticed a sculpture by an artist whose works we had seen before. (As a fun little twist, Professor Yawn offered a $10 gift card to whoever could guess the artist first. Sadly, I could not think of the artists’ name fast enough, but Ilexus did, so she will enjoy some free coffee soon!) The sculpture for the win was “Chance Meeting” by George Segal.
Next, we wandered on to the “Rough n’ Tumble” sculpture by Patrick Dougherty, which was made from cherry laurel, Ligustrum, and sweet gum. for a quick photo op.
We then stopped for a closer look at James Grimes’ sculpture of a dandelion that seemed to be blowing over the glistening water beneath it.
Once inside MMFA, the first exhibit we viewed was “Fact or Fiction,” which was filled with many interesting pieces. My favorite piece from that exhibit was one by Albrecht Durer titled “The Beast with Two Horns Like a Lamb.” This piece was made in 1511 by woodcut on heavy laid paper; with its ominous vibe and lamblike creatures, the artwork seemed to jump right off the wall.
The next room we made our way into was very spacious with abstract art pieces hanging from wall to wall, but the most breathtaking part of this room was the painted murals on the glass windows that shined as the sun beamed brightly through.
The most exciting exhibit for me came next, “Blow Up II.” This exhibit was filled with different kinds of inflatable artwork. The coolest inflatables were the movie or TV show characters dressed as noble knights! There was an inflatable Batman, Shrek, Spiderman, Mickey Mouse, and Bart Simpson. The inflatables were so well detailed; I could hardly tell they were inflatables and thought they were made from stone.
As we got further into the museum, we started seeing more and more pieces from artists we recognize. We saw a piece from James Surls, Sam Houston State graduate.
Also, “New York Office”…
…by Edward Hopper who is most famous for his painting called “Night Hawks,” one of the most recognizable paintings in American art. And, we all knew we had seen the Gilbert Stuart “unfinished” painting of George Washington, but no one had a $1 bill with which to compare!
I personally made a huge connection today between one of my favorite paintings in the Dallas Museum of Art and my favorite in the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts. My favorite painting at MMFA was the “Clown with Long Nose” by Walt Khan; when I saw it, I thought I had seen that style of painting before. Sure enough, it was the same artist as my favorite painting in the Dallas Museum of Art.
As we explore more and more museums, looking at art begins to feel a lot more meaningful and educational. Making even small connections between a painting and the artist makes me realize how much I am actually learning.
Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church
Jayelynn Bordeaux
As the sun was closing down on us, we left MMFA for downtown Montgomery again. Just a couple of blocks from the Rosa Parks statue we stopped at earlier in the day is a National Historic Landmark, the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church.
The church opened in 1877 and is particularly famous for being the first location where Martin Luther King, Jr. preached. The church is a National Historic Landmark because of significance during the Civil Rights Movement. It was a center point during the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which was led by Dr. King. The church has held up for many decades and is normally open to the public for tours (well, before COVID-19).
All I could think about during the time we were standing out on the front sidewalk was how accurate it is when people say, “gone, but not forgotten.” That statement is so true for Dr. King.
He left a prodigious legacy behind and will permanently be relevant to our history because he paved the way for so many lives, for so much change. His drive is admirable in so many ways—it is not easy to find people so willing to boldly stand up for what they believe in. That realization stuck with me and inspired me to want to become the best version of myself.
Alabama State Capitol
Jayelynn Bordeaux
After taking in the history of the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, we walked the last short stretch of the 54-mile path that Dr. King originally led from Selma, AL to Montgomery, AL to reach the Alabama State Capitol.
I fell in love with the Greek Revival architecture style of the Capitol. The view is striking, especially at sunset, overlooking downtown Montgomery. The Alabama marble stairs leading up to the Capitol adds a special look to the building.
We did not get past the stairs leading to the Capitol, though—it was blocked due to worries arising about potential protests. However, I (we all) still enjoyed viewing this site.
Day Five has been filled with incredible opportunities to immerse ourselves in civil rights history, as we recognize that we still stand in the long shadows of Dr. King and Rosa Parks.
