Civil Rights Movement Research Seminar

In the fall 2021 semester McWhorter School of Building Science School Head Dr. Richard Burt collaborated with the University Honors College and College of Liberal Arts Associate Professor of History Dr. Keith S. Herbert to teach HONR 3987: Selma, Bloody Sunday, and Civil Rights Movement Research Seminar.

In the seminar students began the process of creating a database of evidence documenting the history of the March 7, 1965, “Bloody Sunday” confrontation in Selma, Alabama. Throughout the semester students met with members of the Selma community and people who participated in the march that led to the “Bloody Sunday” confrontation to record oral interviews and built an interactive digital exhibit that included a timeline of events. The exhibit included a GIS based map of the historic landscape and using photographs to help identify the members of the march. 

Burt said, “Keith and I felt it was important to share the results of our work in Selma and engage students in research that even though it involves events that occurred over 50 years ago, so many of the issues are still relevant today.” 

The final piece was the class was to plan and implement a community history harvest program in Selma to acquire additional information and to present their research and findings to those closest to this event’s location and participants. The students traveled to Selma on Friday, December 3rd for their final presentations with the community.