By Leilani Moyano ’26Picture this: getting on a plane with classmates, traveling, and taking your learning outside the confines of your English classroom. Well, over Thanksgiving Break, a group of Kingswood Oxford seniors did just that. English teacher Megan Hilliard’s “IMPACT From Shadows to Spotlight: Black Histories and Arts in America” and English teacher Heidi Hojnicki’s “IMPACT Beyond the Bars: Voices of Incarceration, Reentry, and Us” classes embarked on a journey to Montgomery and Birmingham, Ala. to be fully immersed in the history and culture of some of the most crucial cities in the Civil Rights Movement.
Ms. Hojnicki and Ms. Hilliard chaperoned, bringing along English Department Chair Bill Martino as an additional adult. Over the course of four days, KO seniors were able to explore foundational components of the Deep South’s past and present.
The trip began on Friday, Nov. 21, with a trip to the Freedom Monument Sculpture Park, an outdoor installation honoring the lives of enslaved people, a notable favorite among students. Senior Tyler Brown reflected on his favorite part. “There were sculptures of enslaved people, including people being hung upside down by their feet,” he said. “Seeing things like that in person made it feel real. You always hear about it, but you don’t see it.”…