My interest in the Civil Rights Pilgrimage has deepened over the last 22 years as my family became complete with the birth and adoptions of my six children. Three of my children are African American. As a white mother of black children I made a promise to their birth mothers that I would do everything in my power to teach them about their culture, as a mother of white children I try to teach my children that they have privilege and with that comes a great responsibility.

I take advantage of lectures given on campus and bring my children with me as I did last night when we were blessed to hear Bob Zellner speak. I provide my children with as many opportunities as possible to learn about Civil Rights and find ways to continue a civil discourse in what does not feel like a civil time. Since the election of Donald Trump, my children have been called the “N’ word twice while walking home from school. They were targeted by classmates in a vehicle. Having your children come home and feel absolutely beaten down because someone used a racial slur is indescribable. What I learned from that experience was that …show more content…
When we arrived home from the Bob Zellner lecture and I became aware of this scholarship opportunity, I asked my children what their thoughts were. They resoundingly said, “Go apply!” This is consistent with what I have tried to accomplish as a mother prior to returning to school. I signed my children up for soccer teams in a primarily Hispanic part of Logan so we would become more familiar with a culture not our own. Through my association with Sub for Santa I was able to meet and assist families with their DACA application, and play a supportive role when they needed medical attention and they were not receiving adequate care. Improvements can and must be made within Cache Valley. There is no room for