Active Program
Through a partnership between the Brown University Department of Africana Studies course AFRI 1090: Civil Rights Movement and the Swearer Center, Brown University students are invited to participate in a curated trip merging curricular and co-curricular learning opportunities. During a week-long spring break trip to Jackson, Mississippi, and Tougaloo College, students learn about the U.S. Civil Rights Movement through course seminars, tours, engaging with community-based organizations and visiting Tougaloo College. This trip seeks to inform students about civic engagement and social justice.
Upcoming Dates
Spring 2026 — March 21-27, 2026
Eligibility
To be eligible for this program, students must be enrolled or intend to enroll in the Brown University course AFRI 1090: Civil Rights Movement and apply to participate in the trip. Enrollment also does not guarantee participation, as spots are limited.
The trip is optional; students enrolled in AFRI 1090 are not required to participate.
Application Timeline
| Application Opens | Application Deadline | Decision Notification | Program Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| October | November | December | Spring Break March |
How to Apply
- Enroll in Brown’s AFRI 1090 course — Meet with your academic advisor and refer to the registration process for enrollment.
- Submit your application — Apply to participate in the Civil Rights Movement Trip through the application form when it becomes available.
- Confirm your participation by submitting a deposit — Once your application is approved by the program team, you will receive instructions on how to submit your deposit.
History of the Civil Rights Movement Trip
This trip emerged from two versions previously facilitated by the Swearer Center for Public Service and, separately, by Professor Françoise Hamlin through the AFRI 1090 course at Brown. The Swearer Center first facilitated this trip in winter 2017, with a group of Bonner Community Fellows from the Swearer Center. Over the years, this experience changed to become available to any interested students across the University. The Swearer Center has hosted more than 160 students on this trip.
Professor Hamlin first facilitated a trip to Memphis, Tennessee, Mississippi and the Mississippi River region in 2012, as part of her AFRI 1090. The course and accompanying trip examined the extended history of the mass Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. Starting at World War II, students considered the roles of the courts, the federal and state governments, organizations, local communities, individuals and various activist strategies in the ongoing struggle for African American equality, focusing on African American agency, particularly in the South.
Contacts
- Joshua Rodriguez, Brown University
- Françoise N. Hamlin, Brown University
- Melissa McCoy, Tougaloo College