Have you heard of “The Gump?”
You probably have; here is a clue—the home of the Confederacy. Not helpful? How about the home of the civil rights movement? Not yet? How about where Martin and Coretta Scott King got their start in their Christian ministry work? Ok, I’ll stop the tease—it’s Montgomery, Alabama.
I visited there last week as a member of the Institute of Nonprofit Practices Black Leadership Institute (BLI) fellowship program.
https://www.nonprofitpractice.org/programs/black-leadership-institute/. Montgomery was the location the BLI organizers selected for the fellowship cohorts’ first retreat. An interesting fact I learned from the civil rights organizers there is that, contrary to what the media portrayed about the civil rights efforts there as a fight for integration, they said not so. The fight was to change the hearts of the people who were oppressing them. As we think about Black History Month, in times such as these, we know that the accomplishments of the people and the culture we are celebrating were not about attaining accolades but about making the world a better place for their families and those they encountered along the way. If that is the pursuit, the impact will be a better world. I do recommend you visit the Gump and tour the Dr. Richard Harris House, the Mothers of Gynecology Monument, the Legacy Museum, the Freedom Monument Sculpture Park, and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, or Google them. You will be moved as I was, to wade in the water of our ancestors and to strive to make the world a better place when we leave than when we arrived. The accompanying images are from the Freedom Monument Sculpture Park entitled Hallow by Daniel Popper. Be well!
– Gregory Davis