All things Love and Birmingham

Oh Saint Valentine, how we love you. And candy. And school parties. And love. And most importantly, Birmingham. On Friday we went on our last field trip to the Civil Rights Institute. To say it was absolutely amazing is an understatement. You feel all the feels and see the beloved city in such a different way than we know now. In 5th grade, I read The Watson's Go to Birmingham 1963 and this is a real game changer for them. It perfectly intertwines the humor of Kenny and the antics him and his brother Byron find themselves in while in Michigan.They end up being sent to their grandma's (with the rest of the family) in Birmingham and are faced the harsh realities of the Civil Rights movement in the deep south. It had our class laughing, crying, and questioning things that don't have a simple answer. If you are ever in Birmingham, I highly recommend you check out the Civil Rights Institute and take a gander across the street to the 16th St. Baptist Church that got bombed in 1963 killing 4 little girls in Sunday School. It's funny how often we forget to take the time to explore our own city when we're caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. There is so much to do and experience downtown that forces us to realize how grateful we are, how far people have come, and how much we still need to grow. It was humbling (even for 10 year olds) and seeing the 16th St. Church is something amazing, heartbreaking, historical, and thriving.

[ Statues from the park across the street] 

The love only continued with our Valentine's party where candy grams were sent out from "special friends," notes passed saying "Will you be my girlfriend? Check yes or no," and an illegal amount of sugar was consumed (which was quite alright with me because it was Friday and they had the whole weekend to burn that off.) I mean really, no one needs this much junk, but it was so tasty. Middle schoolers have so much love they want to share and it's so sweet when they think of you, and their thoughts are in the form of candy.

Until next time, keep it real.