This past August, I was priviledged to go on another pilgimage to Alabama to study and retrace some of the steps of the Civil Rights movement. There were 20 of us who were a part of the pilgimage, and we visited various places in the cities of Montgomery, Birmingham and Selma. I am finally at a point where I can reflect on the impact of this last pilgimage.
Something that struck me differently this time is the profound level of violence perpetrated against children duringt the movement. The cases of Emmett Till in Money, Mississippi on August 28, 1955, and the four girls murdered during the bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham on September 15, 1963 are well documented. While walking through Kelly Ingram Park, I was struck by the violence and brutality perpetrated by Eugene "Bull" Connor and police officials in Birmingham against thethe children of the city.
Today, we pray for the safety of all children, and we pray especially for those families whose children have been victimized by violence.
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