Stony the Road

"Stony the Road We Trod...Exploring Alabama’s Civil Rights Legacy" is a National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Institute for K-12 schoolteachers, presented by AHA and Dr. Martha Bouyer. Stony most recently took place in July 2022.

Stony the Road We Trod

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. 

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Institute highlights

Educators selected to take part in this immersive experience will:

  • –Participate in conversations with scholars
  • –Interact with iconic leaders and foot soldiers of the civil rights movement
  • –Travel to key sites of memory, as well as sites dedicated to the preservation of civil rights history statewide, in Birmingham, Selma, Montgomery, and Tuskegee
  • –Review archival film footage and other primary source documents as they develop curricular projects
  • –Receive copies of all books used

Jen Reidel (right) shares a reflection on her Stony the Road experience.

Transformative power of the fullness of history

"History matters and knowing it in its fullness is powerful and transformative."--Jen Reidel | A Washington state teacher reflects on her 2022 journey through “Stony the Road We Trod: Exploring Alabama’s Civil Rights Legacy.”

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Jedidiah Gist-Anderson at Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church in Montgomery.

Newfound information - and inspiration - for the classroom

"I will never forget this experience..." --Jedidiah Gist-Anderson | A North Carolina teacher reflects on his 2022 journey through “Stony the Road We Trod: Exploring Alabama’s Civil Rights Legacy."

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