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American Morning
Remembering the Civil Rights Journey
Aired June 22, 2001 - 10:44 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We go from religious separation in Northern Ireland to racial discrimination here in the U.S. A new survey finds about half of all African-American men report having been the victims of racial profiling by police. Overall, nearly four in 10 blacks say they've been unfairly stopped by police because of their race. The survey was conducted by the "Washington Post," the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and Harvard University.
The fight for racial equality in this country is best defined by the civil rights movement. A special project called Sojourn to the Past strives to teach high school students about that history.
The founder of the project is Jeffrey Steinberg. He joins us live this morning from Little Rock, Arkansas. Also with him, Minnijean Brown Trickey. She is one of the nine students who integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957. And we're also joined by three of the students taking part in the project, that includes Nicolette Piaubert, Elizabeth Curtis Bey and Armenoush Aslanian Persico.
Welcome to the entire group. A big group for us, so bear with us as we make our way around the circle. Good morning to all of you.
JEFF STEINBERG, FOUNDER, SOJOURN TO THE PAST: Good morning.
NICOLETTE PIAUBERT, SOJOURN PARTICIPANT: Good morning.
ELIZABETH CURTIS BEY, SOJOURN PARTICIPANT: Good morning.
MINNIJEAN BROWN TRICKEY, LITTLE ROCK NINE: Good morning.
ARMENOUSH ASLANIAN PERSICO, SOJOURN PARTICIPANT: Good morning.
KAGAN: Jeff, that sounded like good morning, teacher. So we'll start with the teacher. Jeff, you were a teacher, a traditional teacher in a classroom in California for a number of years, but you were getting the feeling that books in the classroom weren't teaching the lessons to these kids.
STEINBERG: Yeah, I just don't think, not only students, but people get it, whatever it is. It for us means really understanding what non-violence is about, understanding compassion, tolerance and acceptance of others, really understanding courage, what would anyone put their self on the line for other than themselves. And there's no better way to learn it than being in the places where people actually did that, fought for justice and equality.
KAGAN: So you're taking kids from all around the country to these individual places where different civil rights battles took place?
STEINBERG: We are. We've taken 1,000 students, over 1,000 students so far have made 13 different trips. Each one is 10 days long. And the students and I, we not only teach in the areas where history was made, then they meet the key players of the movement and grassroots people of the movement who share their stories of equality and justice.
KAGAN: And pick up on some themes. All right, let's talk to the kids, because that's what this whole class was about. Nicolette, we're going to start with you, OK?
PIAUBERT: OK.
KAGAN: Where are you from and how old are you?
PIAUBERT: I'm from New York, Brooklyn, and I am 17 years old from High School Paul Robeson.
KAGAN: Very good. Good. Got to get the high school plug in there.
PIAUBERT: Yes.
KAGAN: Otherwise the friends back home would just give you a hard time.
PIAUBERT: Yeah.
KAGAN: Now, you're learning some themes as we go along, so I'm going to ask each one of you as we go about some themes and maybe you can tell me about a place you visited that you picked up on something for that. The power of language is one of the things that you're learning. What have you learned about that, Nicolette?
PIAUBERT: I've learned that everyone has a voice and it needs to be heard and through language we can get a lot done because in the civil rights, people, first of all, they had to speak out to let themselves known and let their fellow people know what's going on and get the news around that we need freedom and that's how, that was the main point, we need freedom equality. And all the leaders went around to tell people what is going on and language is what they used, of course, to...
KAGAN: Of the places that you visited so far, what has had the biggest impact on you?
PIAUBERT: I think the Civil Rights Memorial had the biggest impact on me because the formation, first of all, was extraordinary, and to have all those events in a circle and to know what every inscription on the circular formation, what they meant for us and for us to feel and try to go into that movement, go into that time and realize what these people are doing for us, I think that was the best time. And I just felt at peace there, not feeling angry, not feeling furious or anything, but just relishing in the moment of them doing something great for us.
KAGAN: Elizabeth, let's move on to you. One of the questions that I think Mr. Steinberg teaches you to talk about is courage, meaning what would you do not just for yourself and your family, but what would you do if you really thought something was wrong? How far would you go to fight to make something right?
CURTIS BEY: Well, before I came on this trip, I actually wasn't really sure exactly how much I could do, how much strength I had within me to fight for what I believed in.
But learning about people like Fred Shuttlesworth, who worked in Birmingham for 15 years to bring equality to the people in his community, who worked tirelessly through death threats, through all types of personal danger, he came through that and he was able to make a difference -- and learning about someone like him, I know that he's just like me and he was just like me and that he found the courage within him.
And I think that this trip has been a lot about learning about the courage within me, learning about how other people got through these difficult times, how they found the strength within them, they found their source and they were able to reach their people of their community and they didn't stop until they reached their goal. And I think that being on this trip and meeting these people, I've been able to find that strength within me.
KAGAN: Well, someone who definitely found the strength within, Minnijean Brown Trickey, one of the students who integrated Central High School in Arkansas in 1957. Minnijean, what's your message to these kids as you meet and talk with them?
BROWN TRICKEY: Well, I guess my message is about non-violence, about ordinary people doing extraordinary things and the whole idea of building alliances among each other, talking to each other, seeing past differences. I'm having a wonderful time. It's really good for me, also, for me.
KAGAN: Do you find it encouraging? You hear today, oh, kids today, they don't know the struggles that we had, they're not interested, they don't have a passion. Are you reignited and more encouraged when you meet the young people going on these trips?
BROWN TRICKEY: Well, all I can say is if they don't know it means we haven't done our jobs. So that's part of what I'm enjoying about this, interacting, teaching, learning with young people. Yes, we've got to do it. If we want them to know then we have to go about telling them.
KAGAN: Very good. Quickly, Armenoush, let me get you in here. What have you learned about being a silent witness?
ASLANIAN PERSICO: I've learned that too many people throughout history have been silent witnesses and because of that, so many other people have suffered needlessly. I think that everybody has the power to do great things and I've learned so much about the strength of individuals and learning about all of these movements, I really wish that just even one person in the crowd could have spoken up and could have made a difference. And I know now not to be a silent witness when I go home because so many people can make such a great difference. And being a silent witness is only adding to the problem.
KAGAN: It sounds like the students are learning the lessons well.
Jeffrey Steinberg, thanks for bringing them together.
STEINBERG: Thank you.
KAGAN: Minnijean Brown Trickey, always a pleasure to have you with us.
BROWN TRICKEY: Thank you.
KAGAN: And to the students, thanks for sharing your lessons with us.
ASLANIAN PERSICO: Thanks a lot.
CURTIS BEY: Thank you.
PIAUBERT: Thank you.
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