Less than one week into the new semester, students can spend their day off from classes on Martin Luther King Jr. day giving back. While some students will use this day to catch up on sleep or hang out with friends after winter break, others will join Alternative Student Breaks and the Black Student Union in service.
The two campus organizations will be heading to Selma, Alabama, to honor the legacy of King through volunteer work. ASB President Sydney Bayer said the event is quickly on its way to becoming an annual tradition at Auburn.
The trip, now in its second year, and the collaboration between the two organizations is intended to unite students and allow them to spend a day off benefitting others and learning more about King’s work.
The day trip is filled with different service events and educational opportunities. The group will serve at the Selma Food Bank, CrossPoint Church, SABRA Sanctuary and the Selma Community Center. The group will assist local Selma resident Dave Fulford with completing a housing project for those that may not be able to afford them otherwise.
Additionally, the group will assist the Edmundite Mission with their homeless feeding ministry.
"[The organization] does a lot of good things in the Selma community,” Bayer said.
The variety of organizations and opportunities will allow students to serve the city in a variety of ways and honor the legacy King and history of Selma and King. Selma is home to many pivotal moments of the American Civil Rights Movement throughout the 1960s including Bloody Sunday.
Amidst the different service projects, students will be learning about the role of Selma in recent history and how they can honor that memory. At a meeting prior to the trip, the events that occurred in Selma will be explained to all attendees, and they will be able to discuss how to promote diversity and inclusion.
While in Selma, students will be able to see the National Voting Rights Museum and Institute, and they will end the day by walking across the historic Edmund Pettus Bridge, a bridge King walked across.
Both organizations strive to promote diversity and give back, which will be the major focus
"[The goal is] how to incorporate what they’re learning at Auburn and how to become better Auburn men and women by giving back,” Bayer said.
The cost of the trip is $20 and will include three meals, a T-shirt and transportation. The application is available on AUInvolve.
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