Author Archives: civilrightsroadtrip

by Luiza

Today we went to a meeting at the National Center for the Study of Civil Rights and African-American Culture at Alabama State University and listened to Rev. Robert Graetz and his wife, Jeannie, about what their life was like in the civil rights movement. They were both very strong activists and did a lot during the movement.

They talked Their experiences during that time were very interesting and they had been very close friends with Rosa Parks. Then a historian, Tara White, spoke with us and sang some parts of songs for us. She told us that when people were in jail they would often sing to ‘keep their butterflies down’ so they wouldn’t be as afraid. They would change the words of church songs and create new songs. Everyone in the civil rights movement knew that thy could die and that sometimes people went to jail and were never heard from again. People sang songs because it gave them strength and courage to stay with the civil rights movement.

The students with Rev. Robert Graetz and his wife, Jeannie. The Graetzs’ home was bombed three times because of their efforts to support the Montgomery Bus Boycott and their opposition to segregation.they would often sing to ‘keep their butterflies down’ so they wouldn’t be as afraid. They would change the words of church songs and create new songs. Everyone in the civil rights movement knew that thy could die and that sometimes people went to jail and were never heard from again. People sang songs because it gave them strength and courage to stay with the civil rights movement.

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