This pilgrimage will traverse the U.S. South to experience places and learn about people that comprised the U.S. Southern Civil Rights Movement.

Explore a travel diary and storymap of the January 2022 Civil Rights Pilgrimage. Please note that future pilgrimages may not follow the same itinerary.

Program goals

Applicants should be open to the program's three goals:

• Engage in personal formation through learning about the discernment processes of well- and lesser-known figures of the Civil Rights Movement.
• Experience a deepening of faith rooted in a commitment to racial justice and an understanding of religion that recognizes the inherent dignity and worth of all people.
• Learn Civil Rights Movement history including its various influences, motivations, aims, actions, outcomes, and impacts.

Program structure

All participants are required to take part in the following components of the pilgrimage:

• Pre-trip meetings to meet the group and prepare for the trip.
• Pre-trip reading to familiarize oneself with the timeline of the Civil Rights Movement. (Book or articles will be provided.)
• Week-long tour of the South that integrates visits to museums, churches, and memorials with reflection, journaling, and community building.
• Post-trip reflection paper and presentation to share how the experience impacted you and what you learned.

Logistics and details

The multi-day trip will take place during Spring Break 2023 (March 11-18).

We will visit museums, churches, memorials, restaurants, and parks in several cities. The itinerary is not yet finalized but will likely focus on Memphis, TN and a variety of locations in Mississippi including Jackson, Glendora, Greenwood, Mound Bayou, Natchez, and more. We will travel via chartered bus or vans and stay in shared hotel rooms.

This trip is highly subsidized for student participants. Students selected to participate in the program are expected to pay a fee to help cover costs associated with transportation, lodging, and museum fees. The amount of the student fee for 2023 is $300. If additional financial assistance is necessary, please indicate so in your application.

Application process

All Marquette students are welcome to apply regardless of class standing or program (undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral). As space is limited on the trip, not all applicants will be selected to attend. Thus, there is a two-step application process.

Step 1: Complete application

Apply for the Spring 2023 trip by completing this Qualtrics survey. Applications are due by noon on Monday, February 13, 2023.

Step 2: Complete interview

Applicants will then be invited to participate in a 30-minute interview between February 13th and 17th, which includes discussion of a short reading and short video, which will be provided. We hope to notify those selected for the trip by the end of the day February 20th.

 

Please direct any questions to Chris Jeske (christopher.jeske@marquette.edu).