(Note: BK2BAMA, formerly BEC2BAMA, moved to Uncommon Bed-Stuy East Middle School in the Fall of 2023.)
BK |
All students attend Bedford Stuyvesant Collegiate Charter School (BSC), a Title I charter school run entirely on public funds. BSC operates on a per-pupil budget equal to that of any other New York City public school. 69% of its eighth graders qualify for free lunch, and an additional 6% receive reduced-priced lunch. The eighth-grade student population identifies as 66% Black or African American, with 31% Hispanic, 4% American Indian or Alaska Native, 2% Asian, and 1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. BK2BAMA is proud to include students receiving special teacher support services. |
The students prepare throughout the academic year for what culminates in a trip South. BK2BAMA is funded entirely by student and faculty fundraising and relies on the generosity of its donors. The school provides no aid. Families are not required to contribute anything. Student fundraising remains a cornerstone of the program. Each student creates up a fundraising page, sets a goal, and is held accountable for reaching out to loved ones in their communities for support. We patronize almost exclusively Black-owned and operated businesses in Atlanta and Alabama. |
BAMA |
Most years, selected 8th graders spend a week in Alabama and Georgia, visiting sites of historic sites relating to Black history and the Civil Rights Movement while also learning about the current challenges facing America and people of color in particular. Students meet with leaders and foot soldiers of the Movement, both past and present. In the months preceding the trip, students attend twice-weekly meetings and field trips to prepare for the trip. |
BK2BAMA Mission
BK2BAMA strives to develop proud, confident, proactive young
leaders who recognize and embrace the privileges and
responsibilities of citizenship. To that end, BK2BAMA intimately
exposes students to the rich history of the modern Civil Rights
Movement and engages them in the ongoing efforts being made
to build a more equitable, just, tolerant America and world.
Engage
Meet and listen to the foot soldiers tell their stories of the Civil Rights movement.
Lead
Draw from the courageous leaders of the Movement and cultivate confidence and courage to lead.
Apply
Apply those leadership skills at home by engaging peers in community based activities of service.
Serve
Explore and deliver services at home and in our community.
BK2BAMA is a full-year program. While the trip to Alabama and Georgia during April break is undoubtedly the highlight, between September and April, the group meets about twice a week to prepare. These meetings include lectures, debates, fundraising discussions, film screenings, and field trips around New York City. These are some of the places we go to.
BK2BAMA is grounded in experiential, inquiry-based learning and emphasizes the integral role average citizens played in the success of the Civil Rights Movement through the use of oral histories. Here are some of the foot soldiers students have met through the program.
Charles Person
Original Freedom Rider, member of the Atlanta Student Movement, and Vietnam veteran
Dr. Viola Bradford
reporter for the Southern Courier during the creation of Stokely Carmichael’s Lowndes County Freedom Organization
Reverend Robert and Jean Graetz
Members of the executive committee of the Montgomery Improvement Association during the Montgomery Bus Boycott, 1955-1956
Sam Walker
Activist, Selma voting rights campaign, 1965
Samuel Walker Sam Walker is a widely quoted expert on issues of civil liberties, policing and criminal justice policy. He is the author of 14 books on those subjects, which have appeared in a combined total of 39 different editions. He has been interviewed in...
Sheyann Webb-Christburg
One of the youngest marchers on “Bloody Sunday,” Selma to Montgomery Marches, 1965
Catherine Burks-Brooks
Freedom Rider, 1961
Joyce Vance
U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, 2009-2017
Joyce Vance Joyce White Vance is a Distinguished Professor of the Practice of Law at Hugh F. Culverhouse Jr. School of Law at The University of Alabama. She served as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama from 2009 to 2017. She was...
Sometimes I hear people saying, 'Nothing has changed.'
Come and walk in my shoes.—John Lewis
BK2BAMA returns for its ninth year, with seven extraordinary students eager to explore the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement. Since September, they’ve been diligently preparing for this transformative journey.
My favorite civil rights quote is from MLK, who said, “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends.” This means that Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.” I love this quote because it reminds me any positive action I take will lead to even more positive change. However small, this progress will be significant.
My hero is Yara Shahidi because she has produced many films like Paint Me a Road Out of Here and Sitting in Bars with Cake, and graduated from Harvard University with a 4.0 GPA while acting in many shows. I aspire to accomplish as much as her one day. When I grow up, I want to be a lawyer because I love debating and fighting for others’ freedom.
When I grow up, I want to be a doctor and possibly a surgeon because I would love to help people when they aren’t feeling their best, like my mother, whom I look up to for being so strong and helpful to me. One of my favorite quotes comes from a brave leader, Rosa Parks. She said, “To bring about change, you must not be afraid to take the first step. We will fail when we fail to try.” This quote motivates me to try my best. Above all else, hard work is essential to bring about change.
When I grow up, I’m going to be the mayor of New York City. I always felt I was meant for bigger things, for helping others. I believe I can accomplish this as New York City’s mayor.
I admire my mom because of all she sacrifices to help me. My favorite civil rights figure is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who famously said, “The time is always right to do what’s right.” This powerful quote exemplifies why King was a strong leader.
When I grow up, I want to be a neurosurgeon because I like helping people in need, especially those who don't have the resources to survive. Also, my dad is a police officer. If he ever gets injured, then I will be the one to save him.
BK
All students attend Bedford Stuyvesant Collegiate Charter School (BSC), a Title I charter school run entirely on public funds. BSC operates on a per pupil budget equal to that of any other New York City public school. 69% of its eighth graders qualify for free lunch, and an additional 6% receive reduced-priced lunch. The eighth-grade student population identifies as 66% Black
or African American, with 31% Hispanic, 4% American Indian or Alaska Native, 2% Asian, and 1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. BK2BAMA is proud to include students receiving special teacher support services.
2
The students prepare throughout the academic year for what culminates in a trip South. BK2BAMA is funded entirely by student and faculty fundraising, including individual appeals, grant writing, bake sales, basketball tournaments, and more. The school provides no aid. To ensure the program is affordable for all students, guardians are not asked to contribute anything. Student fundraising remains a cornerstone of the program. Each student creates a fundraising page, sets a goal, and is held accountable for reaching out to loved ones in their communities for support.
BAMA
Each year eight eighth-grade students spend four days in Alabama touring Birmingham, Lowndes County, Montgomery, Tuskegee, and Selma. Students meet with leaders and foot soldiers of the movement like Sheyann Webb-Christburg, Catherine Burks-Brooks, Jean and Robert Graetz, Joyce Vance, Terry Collins, and Robert Posey.