In January, a group of Northeastern Law students participated in a powerful civil rights immersion trip to the Deep South led by federal judges from Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The journey took students from several law schools to pivotal sites, including the Southern Center for Human Rights in Atlanta; the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) Legacy Sites in Montgomery, including the National Memorial for Peace and Justice; and the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. Along the way, students learned directly from extraordinary voices such as Judge Myron Thompson, civil rights survivor Sarah Collins Rudolph and EJI founder Bryan Stevenson. The wide-ranging experience underscored the transformative power of place-based learning and deepened students’ engagement with issues of race, justice and the law.

The tour was conceived by Judge Angel Kelley of the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts, who co-led the group with Chief Judge John McConnell Jr. of the US District Court for the District of Rhode Island. Alongside Northeastern Law, other participating law schools included Harvard, Boston College, Boston University, UMass, Roger Williams, Suffolk and Western New England. According to Kelley, this is a journey everyone needs to make — especially future legal leaders.

“From beginning to end, the trip was immensely rewarding, on so many levels. Judge Kelley and Judge McConnell were passionate and gracious organizers — warm, approachable and committed to making sure each student had the best learning experience,” said Professor Andrew Haile, who accompanied the group alongside Professor Quisquella Addison. “The itinerary was chock-full of moving visits and inspiring speakers, and the trip confirmed for me the power of place in learning.”