Four Illinois Student-Athletes Participate in Big Life Series: Selma to Montgomery

SELMA & MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Illinois sent four student-athletes to represent the University at the Big Ten's third annual Big Life Series: Selma to Montgomery in Alabama from July 12-14.

The Big Life Series serves as an experiential learning opportunity to provide education to student-athletes beyond the classroom. This trip specifically focused on educating student-athletes on the Civil Rights Movement through museum visits, hearing from notable activists who began activism during that time, and visiting historical sites where it all occurred. 

Cori Allen of Women's Basketball, Kam Garrett of Men's Track & Field, Ashley Oliver of Women's Track & Field, and Jeremiah Warren of Football attended the three-day event and participated in impactful educational opportunities throughout their time in Montgomery and Selma, Alabama.

"The trip left me feeling appreciative of the position we're in today," Allen said. "The trip reminded me to hold myself to a higher standard of who and what I represent. Being on an interracial team, my teammates and I must continuously fight and stand up for each other."

The first day of the event featured a kick-off reception before attendees watched "Eyes on the Prize," a documentary that chronicles the civil rights movement and includes the Montgomery bus boycott and the march from Selma to Montgomery. 

Participants then heard from Keynote speaker Sheyann Webb-Christburg, a civil rights activist known as Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Smallest Freedom Fighter" who first got involved in activism at the age of 8 years old. Following the Keynote address, the Illini representatives took part in a student-athlete social, allowing attendees to network with student-athletes from Big Ten institutions from coast to coast.

The following day, Big Life Series participants got involved in a service project in Selma, where attendees assembled backpacks with school supplies and sports equipment to donate to local communities. 

Highlighted by his experience at the community service project, Garrett recognized the importance of using his platform and privilege to give back to communities.

"History is beyond what we learned in the books," Garrett said. "It starts from the soil."

The group then visited First Baptist Church, where they heard from activist Lynda Blackmon, the youngest person to take part in the Selma Voting Rights March of 1965 and author of "Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom."

Everyone then marched from First Baptist Church to Edmund Pettus Bridge, the site of Bloody Sunday in 1965. The day continued with visits and tours of the Alabama Archives Museum and Civil Rights Memorial Center, where the group learned about the history of Alabama, and the Equal Justice Initiative Museum, where attendees learned about the history of slavery, emancipation, and incarceration in the U.S.

The final event of the day came in the form of a closing speech from Doris Crenshaw, Rosa Parks' protege who was 12 years old when she served as the vice president of the NAACP Youth Council when Parks was an advisor to the Youth Council.

Citing Crenshaw's remarks as the most impactful part of her experience, Oliver summed up her time in Alabama as "inspiring, informative, and fun." She intends to register to vote and to be more vocal with her team, while she aims to emulate Crenshaw's essence when discussing topics such as civil rights with others.

"The trip allowed us to understand how to develop our character and gave us good examples to follow," Oliver said. "I also learned how to network with a lot of new people. Walking into a new space was scary at first, but by the end of the trip, I was much more comfortable with meeting new people."

Warren, who described the experience as "motivational, moving, and heartfelt," left the trip wanting to become a better leader, educate his peers on what he learned during the trip, and encourage his teammates to vote.

"I feel as though I became more knowledgeable of what my ancestors did just so I have the freedom I have today," Warren said. "I unlocked a new level of dedication after seeing how they never backed down or gave up."

Through hearing the stories from each of the activists throughout their trip, the quartet felt a sense of awe and appreciation for the resilience and strength the activists displayed to fight for future generations to have equal rights. To honor the sacrifices and work of their ancestors, the group aims to continue educating themselves and their peers on the history of our nation and to use their privilege to vote in the upcoming election. 

Deeply impacted by this trip, the group is thankful that the Big Ten creates these unique experiences for student-athletes and encourages their peers to take advantage of these types of opportunities in the future.