Racism and other kinds of discrimination persist in the United States. To help address this issue, Nancy Calix developed The Movement: Connecting Past to Present, a civil rights educational experience for educators, community members, and volunteers who wished to cultivate a deeper understanding of this era in American history and apply this historical knowledge to develop programs that empower individuals and communities for positive change. 

The modern civil rights movement took placed mainly during the 1950s and 1960s, and it embodied the struggle for social justice and the pursuit of legal equality that the Constitution of the United States guarantees to all individuals. Through marches, boycotts, and civil disobedience, many brave black and white Americans engaged in a movement that transformed the United States. What moved these individuals to bring about change? How are the events of this era relevant to issues facing communities today? The Movement: Connecting Past to Present was a two-day experience in Birmingham, Alabama from May 28-30, 2018 that included an educational tour of the Civil Rights Institute, the 16^thStreet Baptist Church, and the Kelly Ingram Park. Participants also engaged in 2 sessions in which they viewed a film, learned about key events of the civil rights movement, and discussed ideals and struggles of this era and their connection to current events in our society.  

Drawing from the lessons of this professional development experience, one of our community partners, Community Inspired Solutions (CIS), incorporated a civil rights and diversity component into its summer and afterschool programmatic efforts.  With the assistance of the Extension program, CIS was able to offer experiential learning opportunities for youth to build connections from the ideals and struggles of the civil rights era to current events in a meaningful context and in a safe environment. CIS volunteers continue working with the Extension program to build capacity in the area of civil rights, diversity, and inclusion, and expand their resource toolbox.  It is expected that as we continue to empower young people to think critically and become agents of positive change, we will promote thriving communities.