Stony the Road

“Stony the Road We Trod…Exploring Alabama’s Civil Rights Legacy“ is a three-week interactive field study attended by 30 or fewer teachers from around the country following a competitive application process. “Stony the Road…” offers an opportunity for educators to participate in an in-depth, three-week field study of the modern Civil Rights Movement and the pivotal role that Alabama played in making the promises of the U.S. Constitution a greater reality for more Americans.

Teachers trace the role of protest in American history as a tool used to obtain civil liberties and civil rights by examining events in Alabama that impacted not only our state and nation, but the world. Birmingham serves as the host city for this Institute, which includes travel to Selma, Montgomery, and Tuskegee — all key “battleground” sites in the struggle for human and civil rights.

The 2022 “Stony the Road” Summer Institute took place July 10-30, 2022.
The ultimate goal of Stony the Road is to equip teachers with first-hand experiences and primary resources that they can use to bring the civil rights era to life in their classrooms and schools. Educators also learn to better engage their students in conversations about that era’s legacy today. Meeting and interacting with history makers enables summer scholars to bring authenticity to their classrooms.