At first I found myself thinking about how my life or maybe even someone close to me has dealt with the Civil Rights Movement on a personal level.  This proved to be harder than expected because of my European heritage and my age.  After listening to Jean Lacy give a presentation of her own shrines, I felt a little more confident.  Jean put it very simply and eloquently that these shrines are a product of our personal life.  My shrine represents my future after college and my journey across the country.  I feel that within this road trip,  I will be experiencing many cities, where people of great importance during the Civil Rights Movement resided, and I wanted to somehow express the importance of these people through the course of my drive.

• Most important, I wanted to acknowledge that my starting point is a very critical place in history.  Great Barrington, Massachusetts, is the very home of the influential and legendary W.E.B. DuBois.  His participation in the fight against racism and his endless hours of work towards a better social and economic future for African Americans are recognized as some of the most significant work in history.

• My first stop is in the great city of Chicago.  I have chosen to acknowledge Bessie Coleman who at the time was an aspiring pilot.  Due to her race and gender she was not allowed to follow her dream in the United States.  This did not stop her however, she followed her dream and went to aviation school in France.  She returned to America as the first African American woman to be a licensed pilot.  She is an important person in my life through paving the way for women everywhere to follow their dreams as a pilot.   In particular, I want to acknowledge my mother who has just, at age 50, received her pilot's license.

• Celebrating the music scene in Chicago, I acknowledge William Christopher Handy, the Father of the Blues, born in Florence, Alabama.  I felt that music is a big part in my life and without Handy and others like him we wouldn’t be able to enjoy the beauty of music.  His music acted in two fashions during the movement, one being mournful and the other being invigorating.  This type of music was the first of its time.  It rallied the spirits of African-Americans all over the country.

• I will eventually make it to the West Coast where I felt Jackie Robinson would be an important person to remember.  Sports are a big part of my life, as they are for many others all around the world.  His courageous attitude and superior talent broke the color barrier in baseball and many other sports.  His role in the NAACP after retiring from baseball is recognized through his many achievements.

My trip comes to a promising end on the West Coast in San Diego, California, where I plan to learn new things, such as surfing, and experience new sights, such as all of California and Mexico. Similar to my journey, I believe the Movement has a promising future. In learning about these important people in history and experiencing their hometowns along the way, I can appreciate their life’s work to the fullest.  I am lucky to say that I will have in some way connected to these people and their incredible accomplishments.  I am also honored that in some form my life can be a part of these people’s lives and the lives of other African Americans, such as Jean Lacy.