Ripon students experience civil rights trip 60 years after original

A small group of Ripon College students spent their spring break in Alabama where they attended the inaugural national symposium of the Fred D. Gray Institute for Human & Civil Rights.

Al Sturgeon, associate vice president for student success and assistant professor of political science, and Ji’Mya Sullivan-Owens ’24, post-graduate assistant for student life and admissions, accompanied four students to the event and to visit other locations significant to the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Student participants were seniors Tekiera Farrell and Tamyra Patrick; junior Shaniya Harris; and sophomore Myhkia Johnson.

“As a former history teacher, I am particularly passionate that the past should never be forgotten,” Sturgeon said. “It is especially important, when possible, to meet the people who were on the front lines of history.”

The group had the opportunity to meet Gray, who served as an attorney for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and plaintiffs/victims of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, among others. 

“A simple smile,” Farrell said. “That’s how my first connection and conversation at the Fred Gray Symposium began. I’ve always been a bit shy, often keeping to myself in new spaces, but something in me felt drawn to introduce myself to a wonderful woman named Dorothy, who was part of the Tuskegee Museum group. Her warmth and kindness immediately put me at ease, and her words stayed with me — she was glad to see young Black people participating in the symposium. That simple affirmation gave me the confidence to take more chances, to introduce myself, to engage, to be fully present in the experience.”

Farrell said she spoke with professionals not only invested in their students’ success, but also in guiding them outside of the classroom. 

“As a future educator, it was inspiring to witness their passion and dedication firsthand,” Farrell said. “It reminded me why I chose this path, why education is so much more than just teaching,  it’s about fostering connections, encouraging growth and leaving a lasting impact.”

Sixty years ago, another group of Ripon College students made a trip to Alabama at a time of great conflict. The Rev. Jerry H. Thompson, then chaplain and professor of religion at the College, accompanied three students — Noel Carota ’67, Richard M. Grimsrud ’65 and Gary G. Yerkey ’66 — to participate in the Selma to Montgomery Voting Rights March led by Dr. King in the spring of 1965.

An engraved brick honoring Thompson is included in a walkway at the National Voting Rights Museum and Institute in Selma.

“I don’t think anything can replicate learning about history in the exact places where it occurred,” Sturgeon said. “And for Ripon College students in particular, the opportunity to make the connection between Montgomery and Selma, Alabama and Ripon, Wisconsin, and literally walk in the footsteps of former students is remarkable.”

“This trip was very important to my development as a young adult,” Patrick said. “The way I’ve been empowered by this trip to keep pushing forward and achieve greatness is truly inspirational. This also contributed to a greater understanding of my place/role among my fellow African-Americans (both past and present), an area I’ve always felt unworthy of being at times.”