Wednesday 16th November - Wilcox County (am)

After a very early start we set off with our hosts from the MHRC on our journey to Wilcox County which is situated in in the South west of Alabama. The journey from Birmingham took approximately two hours but it was livened up by some terrible weather conditions which we later discovered was a tornado!

After some brilliant driving from Graydon, Dr Theresa Wynn and Amber Anderson we arrived in Camden, Wilcox County. The Wilcox County Project was a product of the Economic Development and Health Summit in 2010 (see previous blog post - UAB Business School Partnership) and we were visiting the area to see in practice the impact of the project.

Our first stop in Wilcox County was a visit to the County Court House where we met high school students, UAB interns and faculty members, local residents, representatives from the Chamber of Commerce and the City Mayor. After introductions, Graydon Yatabe gave a short presentation on the background of the exchange program followed by a few words by Cllr. Gwen Hassell on the past, present and future of Stoke-on-Trent.

The high school students (from Wilcox Central High School - a public school) were then invited to share their experiences of the project. Each student described their summer activities relating to the project and also what they had gained from taking part. We were very impressed with their attitude, application and enthusiasm. 

Here are some quotes taken from a presentation delivered by UAB interns;

The next stop on our tour of Camden, Wilcox County was a visit to the Historic Antioch Baptist Church. The Church became a cross-roads in the 1960's and it served as a site of mass meetings during the Civil Rights Movement and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at the church in 1965. We were met at the Church by a lady called Rosetta Anderson;

Kenitra Robinson (CDC) - Left, Rosetta Anderson - Right

A historical panel with the display, titled, "Voting Rights Now!", describes how Rev Martin Luther King Jr. and others, in early 1965, led voting rights marches in Dallas, Perry, Lowndes and Wilcox Counties;

"On Monday, March 1, 1965, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., arrived at Antioch Baptist church to speak to a nervous but determined crowd of 200 black citizens. In the crowd was an active member of Antioch Baptist Church, a 31 year old housewife and mother of 3 children. Rosetta Marsh Anderson listened intently as Dr. King’s powerful message of justice, non-violence, and love resonated, and when the march began, Rosetta stepped forward, head held high with pride and determination, that no matter how long, or how difficult the struggle would become, she would not turn back."

It was amazing to be in the company of individuals who had actively participated in the Civil Rights movement. Rosetta was able to point to herself in a photograph (top right, below) pinned to the wall listening to Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. speech in 1965.