Tue, 28 Apr 2026 10:03:53 -0400WeeblyTue, 08 Oct 2019 21:20:05 GMThttps://www.livinglegacypilgrimage.org/october-2019-bulletin/october-08th-2019Can you believe we're only a week and a half away from our much-anticipated pilgrimage? The weather continues to look promising: 70s in the daytime and 50s at night. There is a possibility of showers, so it's a good idea to pack an umbrella or rain gear.

Please note that we'll be on Central Daylight Time (UTC-06:00) throughout the trip so you might need to reset your watches when you arrive (or remember that your phone might have automatically reset). 

Itinerary
Several of you have asked for information about our day-to-day schedule. This link shows you how the days will flow: Itinerary.

You'll notice that the schedule is very full and the days are long. Unlike vacation tours when you have blocks of time to explore on your own, this is a sacred pilgrimage where, because of the people we'll meet and the places we'll visit, every minute is precious. We know it asks a lot of us, but we also know from hundreds of people who have gone on this pilgrimage before you, they wouldn't trade a minute of it. When you return home after this week, we hope you'll feel the same. 

Please remember that the itinerary is subject to change. The key is to let the experience flow in you and through you without worrying about the clock. That's our job. We'll keep you informed about what's next and what to expect along the way. Your job is to breathe in as much as you can and let the experience take you where it will. 

On that note, we encourage you to tell family, friends, and employers that, with the exception of real emergencies, you are not available for this week. Put an out-of-office/away message on your email and your cell phone. Try as hard as you can to reduce distractions. We even encourage you to stay away from the news and social media, except, of course, when you're posting about the Pilgrimage (#LLP19)! It will all be there when you return home. Give yourself this week; make it as meaningful as you can. We guarantee you won't regret it. 

Past bulletins
Some of you have not opened previous bulletins and emails we've sent. Just in case you're concerned that you missed anything, you'll find them all, including this one, at this link: Oct 2019 LLP Bulletins. 

Packing
We suggest you pack lightly-layered clothing, a sweater, and rain jacket, for example, to keep you comfortable in any weather we might experience.
 
Sunday, October 20 is the only day you will need “church clothes.” We will be attending services at Bethel Baptist Church of Collegeville, the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth’s former church, and then having lunch and a program at Historic Bethel Baptist Church. We ask that you dress up (at least a little) for the occasion. If you want to leave your dress clothes in Birmingham, you're welcome to put them in my car (as long as you remember to claim them when we get back to Birmingham or Diversity Thrift in Richmond will receive a nice donation!). 
 
Plan to wear comfortable clothes and good walking shoes. You will have to lug your suitcase into the hotel and back again every day so we suggest you pack lightly. We don't care if you wear the same outfit more than once (as long as you shower regularly!).
 
Those of us who have spent a lot of time on the bus have found that a small day pack or tote bag works well in the overhead bin or on the floor by your feet to hold the stuff you might need during the day.
 
Also, please remember to pack a water bottle. We will have some bottled water for those who need it but, for the environment's sake, we don't want to purchase too much of it. We'll also have some snacks on the bus, but bring whatever you know you'll want (or need) with you so you're not disappointed that we didn't get your favorite kind.

Lodging
You'll find the list of hotels, addresses, and phone numbers on the itinerary. Except for the first two nights in Birmingham, the staff will handle check-in and will distribute keys each evening.  

Parking
If you’re driving, you’ll be able to part your car for the week at the Holiday Inn Birmingham Airport. Ask for a parking pass when you check in. Out of courtesy to other guests, they ask that we leave our cars in the rows farther away from the door. Remember, you can leave your Saturday and Sunday clothes in your car so you don’t have to lug them all around all week. If you're not driving, you can leave stuff in one of our cars, as long as you remember to pick it up when we arrive back in Birmingham. 

Special dietary needs
We make every effort to accommodate special dietary needs that you've made known to us. In addition, we'll have granola and energy bars, fruit, and other (less healthy) snacks on the bus. Our meals are not always at the same time every day, so if you need to eat on a schedule, or if you require anything else that you're concerned about not getting, please bring it with you. And remember to bring a water bottle.

Arrival
If your plane, train, or automobile is delayed on Saturday and you won’t arrive by our 4:00 pm (Central) Orientation, please text me at 804-551-0241. Be sure to include who you are and when you hope to arrive.

Group Sharing
When you spend a week on a bus with forty-five other people you get pretty close. We’ll be sharing a lot, including germs. If you have a cold, please bring plenty of tissues and dispose of them properly. If you don’t have a cold and don’t want to get one, you might want to bring extra vitamins, zinc, Airborne, or whatever you use to fortify yourself. It’s rare anyone spreads anything, at least that we know about, but it’s good to be prepared.

We also ask that you limit scents, i.e. perfume, cologne, and any extra scented things. If people have a sensitivity to scents, the close quarters of the bus could activate them. Also, be sure to check with your roommate before spraying anything in the room, burning a scented candle, etc.

And if you’re sharing a room, remember to pack your eyeshades and earplugs to manage lights and sounds that might impact your sleeping.

Gratitude
Expressing gratitude is an important part of developing relationships. We encourage you to bring thank-you cards and/or find other ways to express gratitude to those you meet along the way. 

Reuse and Recycle
At Orientation on Saturday, we’ll be asking for someone to volunteer as our recycling coordinator(s) for the week. You can make their work a lot easier if you reduce the amount of recyclables you consume. Remember your water bottles! Also, if you’re inclined to help with recycling, let us know on Saturday.

Cash
Several people have asked about how much money to bring with you. It’s a good idea to have cash to leave a tip for the housekeeping staff at each hotel along our route. We generally recommend $3-5 per night. If you’re sharing a room, you can split that between you. We also recommend at least $5-10 per day for a total of $40-80 for our bus driver. We present him with an envelope at the end of the trip with our thanks. Cash is best, but if you want to write a check that’s fine too. If you can afford more that will help those who aren’t able to contribute as much. You might also want cash or credit cards for incidentals, gifts, etc. That should be all you need. 

Let me know if you have any additional questions. I'm looking forward to meeting you in Birmingham. 

Annette

Annette Marquis
Administrative Coordinator
Living Legacy Project, Inc. 
livinglegacypilgrimage@gmail.com
804-551-0241

​]]>Sun, 15 Sep 2019 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.livinglegacypilgrimage.org/october-2019-bulletin/october-08th-20192165628We are less than five weeks away from our initial gathering in Birmingham on Saturday, October 19, 2019. Please read this bulletin carefully for travel information and reading/viewing resources to help you make the most of our week together. All the details are coming together, and I know we will have an incredible journey. I can’t wait!
 
Staff
We expect to have a total of forty-eight people on the bus, including six Living Legacy Pilgrimage staff:

• Reggie Harris, musician and LLP musical director
• Seanan Holland, staff
• Annette Marquis, Pilgrimage coordinator
• Jan Sneegas, staff
• Joseph Selmon, tour guide
• Roy Young, driver

 
We’re coming from fourteen states ranging from California to Massachusetts and DC. Although our average age hovers around 64, we range in age from 32 to 86!
 
Roommates and Roster
Here is a roster of everyone who will be on the trip, their email addresses, and home cities and states.
 
The roster also includes roommate assignments. If you’ve asked us to assign you a roommate, we encourage you to reach out to the person so you can get to know each other a little. Suggested topics: Are you a night-owl or a morning person? Do you sleep through anything or wake at the drop of a button? Do you watch TV or prefer it off? Do you enjoy engaging in conversation after a long day or is your idea of winding down total peace and quiet? Answers to these questions, and a bit about you and your interest in the Pilgrimage will help to smooth the way as you share living space for the week.
 
What to Expect on the Pilgrimage
Except for our first two nights, we’ll be staying at a different hotel, in a different city, every night (see more about packing below). Over the course of the week, we’ll stay in:

• Birmingham - Oct 19 and 20
• Prattville (Montgomery), AL - Oct 21
• Marion, AL - Oct 22
• Meridian, MS - Oct 23
• Ridgeland (Jackson), MS - Oct 24
• Memphis, TN, - Oct 25

 
We’ll start each day with breakfast in the hotels. We’ll depart the hotel by 8:30 or 9:00 depending on the day (we’ll make sure you know what time to be on board), so you’ll need to have your bag out there before that to get it loaded. On the bus, we’ll share a morning centering meditation or reading and maybe join in some singing. We’ll orient you to the day, then, depending on where we’re going, we might give you some history, point out sights along the route, tell some stories, show a video, or let you sit quietly or give you time to get to know your seatmate.
 
We’ll be on and off the bus a lot, but don’t worry if you have challenges with steps, we’ll assist you, so you’ll be able to get on and off as much as you want with little problem. We have no strenuous hikes planned and walking is generally pretty easy. The most challenging walk is across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. We’ll give you more information about as we get close, and if you decide it’s too much. you can ride across in the bus.
 
Over the course of each day, we’ll be traveling to significant sites in the Civil Rights Movement. Some museums we’ll visit are well-financed and some locally grown. Some of our stops will be at small town or country churches where veterans of the Movement will share their personal stories with us. Some stops will be at sacred sites, including places like Brown Chapel in Selma and the ruins of the store in Money, Mississippi, where Emmet Till was targeted for murder.
 
No matter where we are, we’ll do our best to put what happened there in context for you and help you connect with the real stories that made the Civil Rights Movement such a powerful force for change in our country.
 
Most days, we’ll have lunches and dinners in restaurants/cafeterias, or we’ll have them catered for us at various stops. On couple of our longer travel days, we’ll eat our box lunches on the bus, so we can get to our next stop. Whenever possible, our food will be prepared by veterans of the Movement.
 
Your job on this Pilgrimage is to immerse yourself in the experience and not worry about anything else. Your staff will make sure we get to where we need to be. Although we have an itinerary, we know not everything will happen as planned. Some of the best experiences we’ve had on the many Pilgrimages we’ve now hosted have happened spontaneously, like meeting the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, just months before he died, and being able to thank him in person for his courageous life. That’s the wonder of this experience!
 
Lodging in Birmingham
We will be staying at the Holiday Inn Birmingham-Airport, 5000 Richard Arrington Jr Blvd N, Birmingham, AL 35212, 877-859-5095. If you plan to arrive early, you’ll want to reserve a room directly with the hotel for those nights, give them the group name “LIV” and the rate of $114. If you have any problem reserving at this rate, please let me know.
 
You might also choose to shop around at general hotel websites because, if you want to go that route, you could possibly get a better online rate.
 
If you plan to stay in Birmingham the night of Saturday, October 26, please let me as soon as possible that you’ll be needing a room that night. Because of a major football game, rooms are at a premium. We are working to identify a hotel than can accommodate us, and I’ll let you know as soon as we do.
 
To avoid this issue, you might consider flying out of Memphis on Saturday, October 26, rather than returning to Birmingham. More about that below.
 
Travel
If you’re flying into Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM), we suggest doing a little research into the amazing life of Fred Shuttlesworth. We’ll be visiting his former church on Sunday morning!
 
The Holiday Inn Birmingham-Airport offers shuttle service from the airport, which is less than 10 minutes from the hotel. Just call the hotel at 877-859-5095 when you arrive, and they’ll come to pick you up.
 
If you’re driving to Birmingham, be sure to let the front desk know when you check in so you can get a parking pass for your car.
 
If you need a ride from the bus or train station, please hail a local cab or arrange a ridesharing service.
 
If you’re leaving from Birmingham to return home, remember to not schedule any flight from the Birmingham Airport before 6:00 pm on Saturday. It’s an almost four-hour trip from Memphis to Birmingham so we probably won’t arrive at the Birmingham airport until at least 4:30 that afternoon so give yourself enough time to not miss your flight.
 
If you plan to leave from Memphis on Saturday, October 26, you can schedule a flight any time after 2 pm. We will be finishing up at the National Civil Rights Museum around noon and heading back to Birmingham. If several people are flying out of Memphis, we might be able to drop you off on our way out of town. Otherwise, you can take a cab from the Museum.
 
Packing and Weather
We expect that the temperatures should be in the 70s during the day and 50s at night with lots of sunshine, i.e., PERFECT! However, we all know that could change in an instant. We suggest you pack lightly layered clothing, a sweater and rain jacket, for example, to keep you comfortable in any weather we might experience.
 
Sunday, October 20th is the only day you will need “church clothes.” We will be attending services at Bethel Baptist Church of Collegeville, the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth’s former church, and then having lunch and a program at Historic Bethel Baptist Church. We ask that you dress up (at least a little) for the occasion. If you want to leave your dress clothes in Birmingham, you're welcome to put them in my van (as long as you remember to claim them when we get back to Birmingham. If you don’t Diversity Thrift in Richmond will receive a nice donation!). 
 
For the remainder of the trip, plan to wear comfortable clothes and good walking shoes. You will have to lug your suitcase into the hotel and back again every day, so we suggest you pack lightly. We don't care if you wear the same outfit more than once (as long as you shower regularly!).
 
Those of us who have spent a lot of time on the bus have found that a small day pack or tote bag works well in the overhead bin or on the floor by your feet to hold the stuff you might need during the day.
 
Also, please remember to pack a water bottle. We will have some bottled water for those who need it but, for the environment's sake, we don't want to purchase too much of it. We'll also have some snacks on the bus but bring whatever you know you'll want (or need) with you, especially if you have dietary concerns, so you're not disappointed that we didn't get your favorite kind.
 
Advance Reading/Viewing
Please review some of the books, films, and links on the resource pages on our website. 
 
For deeper background about the history of racial discrimination in this country, we also encourage you to read Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi or The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism by Edward E. Baptist. Both are excellent histories of the development of racism in the US.
 
Social Media/Writing
If you're into social media, or even if you're not and you'd like to learn, we appreciate all the tweeting, Facebooking, Instagramming, blogging, and whatever other social media you want to share. We invite you to document and photograph (although we say more about this in our orientation) as much of your journey as you want, from packing until you return home again, for the folks back home, for future pilgrims, and for your own memories. Please use hashtag #LLP19 so we can identify your posts and share them on the Living Legacy Pilgrimage and Coming to the Table platforms.
 
That's all for now. Questions? Feel free to contact us at livinglegacypilgrimage@gmail.com.
 
Annette
 
Annette Marquis
Living Legacy Project
Administrative Coordinator]]>Thu, 15 Aug 2019 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.livinglegacypilgrimage.org/october-2019-bulletin/august-15th-2019Thank you for registering for the October 19-26, 2019, Living Legacy Pilgrimage. We pleased to inform you that this Pilgrimage is full! 
PLEASE READ THIS BULLETIN CAREFULLY AS IT CONTAINS IMPORTANT INFORMATION YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE THE PILGRIMAGE.

TRAVEL INFORMATION
It’s a good idea to begin exploring transportation options to and from Birmingham, Alabama, i.e., flights, train schedules, bus routes, etc., so you can secure the best options and rates. We will meet in Birmingham on Saturday, October 19 at 4:30 p.m. and will board the bus by 5:00 p.m. We'll be going to a downtown church where we'll have orientation and dinner, so plan to arrive with enough time to settle in and relax a little before things kick-off. 

Flights
If you’re flying, many of you will be able to arrange a Saturday flight to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM) that will get you there in plenty of time for our 4:30 pm gathering. If you need to arrive the day before or leave the day after, you will be able to make a reservation at the same hotel we’ll be staying at in Birmingham for that extra night, or, of course, you’re free to stay somewhere else. We will give you more about how to make a reservation for pre and post nights and about the airport shuttle in a future bulletin.

Amtrak and buses
Birmingham is serviced by Amtrak and by Greyhound and other bus lines. Please arrange for a Lyft or cab from the station to the hotel. 

Driving
If you're driving, we will make arrangements with our Birmingham hotel for you to be able to leave your car without charge in the hotel parking lot for the duration of our trip.

Leaving for home at the end of the Pilgrimage
Our final day, Saturday, Oct 26, begins at a hotel in Memphis, TN. We will spend that morning at the National Civil Rights Museum. The bus will depart for Birmingham around lunchtime. 

Important: If you plan to fly home on Saturday, Oct 26, do not schedule any flight from the Birmingham Airport before 6:00 pm on Saturday. It’s an almost four-hour trip from Memphis to Birmingham so we probably won’t arrive at the Birmingham airport until at least 4:30 that afternoon so give yourself enough time to not miss your flight.

Some people might choose to fly out of Memphis on Saturday afternoon. That's OK, although you'll miss some of our end-of-Pilgrimage processing on the bus on the return to Birmingham. If you choose to do that, you'll be responsible for transportation the National Civil Rights Museum to the airport. 

PREPARING FOR THE TRIP
For you to get the most out of this experience, we hope you will do some advance reading and video watching. Our website, www.uulivinglegacy.org,  offers a large number of resources (see Resources) covering both history and current developments in civil rights areas relevant to the stops. We thought we would highlight a few especially good sources that you might find in your library or bookstore.

Books
Weary Feet, Rested Souls
We recommend that you purchase a copy of Weary Feet, Rested Souls by Townsend Davis to carry with you on the journey. It’s available from Amazon in print, both new and used copies, and Kindle editions, or you can order it from your favorite independent bookstore.

Arranged by location, Weary Feet, Rested Souls describes each place we will visit, including maps, Movement history, photos and quotes. It provides a good preliminary review of the significance of each site, and a helpful tool for remembering the sites and telling others about them back home. We will be telling you which pages describe each day’s itinerary.

Civil Rights Movement
For a general look at the historic Civil Rights Movement, two books are especially well done:
Parting the Waters – America in the King Years, 1954-1963, by Taylor Branch – a comprehensive and informative summary of historic events with ML King, Jr. as a focus.

The Children, by David Halberstam – Tells the stories of the young people in Nashville who formed the core of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and what they have done with their lives since the Movement days.
​
Especially those of you who are Unitarian Universalists, we highly recommend reading Mark Morrison Reed’s new book: The Selma Awakening: How the Civil Rights Movement Tested and Changed Unitarian Universalism. It’s available from the UUA Bookstore and from Amazon (including Kindle edition). According to the UUA Bookstore, “With rigorous scholarship and unflinching frankness, The Selma Awakening provides a new way of understanding Unitarian Universalist engagement with race and offers an indispensable new resource for anyone interested in UU history.”

FILMS
Several films (available as video, DVD or both) are well worth watching on your own. Some are available through streaming services or your local library. We will be using some visual materials on the bus, but will not have the time to include all segments of these excellent resources:

• Eyes on the Prize: America's Civil Rights Years 1954-1965 by Henry Hampton - (available now in a 3 DVD set) We will view the Selma and Mississippi segments on the bus, but all sections are well worth watching ahead of time.
• Home of the Brave – the case of Viola Liuzzo, who was killed on the road between Selma and Montgomery following the famous march.
• The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till, by Keith Beauchamp – covers the murder and aftermath of 14 year old Emmett Till in Money, Mississippi in 1955.
• Freedom Summer (2014) — describes the 10 weeks in 1964 when more than 700 student volunteers from around the country joined organizers and local African Americans to register voters in Mississippi.
• Strange Fruit (2002) — the story behind Billie Holiday’s signature anti-lynching song examines the history of lynching, and the interplay of race, labor and the left, and popular culture that shaped the civil rights movement.

This is just a start. You’ll find more on our Resources page and many more with some searching around the Web. The more you know before the Pilgrimage, the more you’ll gain from the Pilgrimage itself.

ABOUT SCHOLARSHIPS
The value of this Living Legacy Pilgrimage is priceless. The cost of the trip is an opportunity for individuals who are privileged by means of their color to take concrete action toward healing the wounds of racism by offering an opportunity for a second person whose life has been impacted by color discrimination or by the legacy of enslavement to fully participate in the Pilgrimage. We appreciate the generosity of those who have already donated to our scholarship fund.

We encourage participants who have the resources to do so to make a contribution. Every donation you make will go directly to allowing someone else to join us on the bus, either on this trip or a future pilgrimage. 

DONATE TODAY. All of us will be richer for your generosity.

FUTURE UPDATES
Your planning team is working on setting up all the details, and you should look for regular bulletins from us that will help you prepare and know what to expect. In the meantime, if you have questions, please visit our website at www.uulivinglegacy.org or feel free to e-mail us at livinglegacypilgrimage@gmail.com.

See you in Birmingham!

Annette
Administrative Coordinator
Living Legacy Project, Inc. 
www.livinglegacypilgrimage.org
livinglegacypilgrimage@gmail.com]]>