Several members of the BYU Continuing Education (CE) Leadership Council recently participated in the Sorensen Center’s Southern Christian Leadership Experience (SCLE) for their annual professional development. During Winter Semester 2026, Leadership Council read historical documents as assigned and met multiple times to discuss the readings with Dr. Anthony Bates, Associate Director of the Sorensen Center. The experience concluded with a trip to Georgia and Alabama from May 13 to 18, 2026.
The readings, discussions, and trip facilitated members of the CE Leadership Council to learn from the examples and experiences of civil rights leaders and apply the principles learned within CE. It is significant that the civil rights leaders studied and those the group met with all were all people of deep faith and commitment to Jesus Christ, a guiding principle to inspire the work in CE.
On Thursday, the group began their trip in Atlanta, Georgia, at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, which is a museum dedicated to the achievements of the civil rights movement in the United States as well as broader human rights around the world. The group then traveled to the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park, where they visited a number of sites relating to the life and work of the late great civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Some of the cites included King Jr.’s birth home, the Ebenezer Baptist Church, the church where King Jr. co-pastored from 1960 up until his assassination in 1968, and the tomb of Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife, Coretta Scott King.
Reflecting upon this experience and the immense and immeasurable legacy of MLK Jr., CE Dean Richard Houseman said, “I am very happy we could do this together, and I feel grateful for the sacrifices everyone made to have this experience. This experience was eye-opening and changed our perspectives in meaningful and positive ways. We have an amazing leadership team in CE, and I believe this experience will influence how we engage with each other, interact with our teams, exhibit our CE values, and achieve our CE mission and vision.”
On Friday, the group started off their day at the Freedom Riders National Monument, which was established by President Barack Obama to commemorate the Freedom Riders, a group of civil rights activists who traveled across states in the Jim Crow South to protest the unconstitutional continued segregation of public buses. The group then visited the Greyhound Bus Burning Site, where the Freedom Riders were met by a mob who slashed their tires, broke their windows, and torched the bus. On this same day, the group was fortunate enough to hear from Pastor Thomas Wilder, senior pastor of the historic Bethel Baptist Church in Collegeville, Birmingham, Alabama, and Barbara Shores, author and daughter to Arthur Shores, a prominent civil rights attorney during the 1960s in Birmingham.
Visiting the Freedom Riders memorial left an impact on Shawnelle Aston, CE Finance Business Partner, who said, “Learning more about the Freedom Riders helped me better understand their bravery and how organized and strategic the movement was.” Ashton explained, “They carefully planned, trained, and worked together despite the dangers they faced. Change comes from courage and working together.”
On Saturday, the group kicked off the day by visiting the Brown Chapel AME Church, which played a pivotal role as the starting point of the Selma-to-Montgomery marches that eventually led to the passing of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, the landmark statute that prohibited racial discrimination in voting. From there, the group walked across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, where the Bloody Sunday beating of civil rights protesters took place as they marched for voting rights. The group then attended the Rosa Parks Museum, a museum dedicated to Parks’ famous refusal to give up her seat to a white passenger and move to the back of the bus, which led to her arrest and her place in the Civil Rights Movement.
Pondering on the day, Jay Young, Director of CE Classroom Programs, said, “Visiting this place made history feel real. Standing at Brown Chapel and crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge helped me better understand the courage it took for ordinary people to stand up against injustice. It was something we could feel. Visiting the Rosa Parks Museum reminded me that even small acts of defiance can spark powerful change. The whole day left me with a deeper appreciation for the sacrifices made in the Civil Rights Movement and a renewed sense of responsibility to carry those lessons forward.”
On Sunday, after attending a sacrament meeting, the group then visited the First Baptist “Brick-a-Day” Church, which was founded in 1867 and is one of the first Black churches in the area, and became one of the largest in the South. Additionally, the church served as a gathering place for the Civil Rights Movement while under the direction of Reverend Ralph Abernathy, a close friend and mentor of Martin Luther King Jr. After that, the group then went to the Legacy Museum, which exhibits about slavery and its lasting influence. They also went to the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, the nation's first memorial to commemorate the Black victims of lynching throughout the United States. Later that night, the group then met with Nelson and Dean Malden, who was MLK Jr.’s barber. The Maldens shared stories from when they were growing up and throughout the Civil Rights Movement.
After thinking upon the experience, Laura Chapman, CE Registrar, said, "Starting the day by attending sacrament meeting as a leadership team was a unique and uplifting spiritual experience that helped center me for the rest of the day. Visiting the museum and memorial then provided a powerful and sobering look into a deeply significant part of America’s history – one that evokes profound emotion and invites reflection.”
Another outcome of the SCLE was that it allowed those on the trip to engage in conversations with people with different experiences and perspectives than many members of Leadership Council. Scott Howell, Managing Director of Finance and Business Services, shared that for him the experience allowed him to better appreciate what President Dallin Oaks taught, “We should love all people, be good listeners, and show concern for their sincere beliefs.” After the SCLE experience, Scott added, “I am seeking to improve my ability to listen and seek to better understand other perspectives as we discuss matters within Continuing Education.”
The group visited the Alabama State Capitol one evening. After walking the grounds, Dr. Bates testified to the group of the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He shared his gained appreciation of the infinite power of Christ’s grace and mercy that allows those hurt by racial matters to be healed and those who perpetuated them to be forgiven.
The time spent in Georgia and Alabama provided members of the CE Leadership Council with a deeper understanding and appreciation for the courage, sacrifice, and faith of the people and places that defined the Civil Rights Movement and a reinvigorated sense of purpose.
CE is also working to expand the reach of the SCLE as our Professional Development portfolio works with the Sorensen Center to create an online version of the experience, which will allow more people to study the leaders and events and apply what they learn to their lives.