Johns Hopkins students, Baltimore Poly students learn about city's role in Civil Rights
BALTIMORE -- A unique project brought together local college students and high school students to learn about Baltimore's Civil Rights history.
Students from Baltimore's Polytechnic Institute and Johns Hopkins University dug through old photos and newspapers on Wednesday.
"It's important to learn about history in general," Poly student Phoenix Shelton said.
Those students met at a library on campus at Johns Hopkins to take a look back at what it was like in Baltimore in the 1960s.
"This city has an extremely rich history and culture, but rarely actually in academia do we bother to look at what is immediately surrounding us," said Johns Hopkins visiting professor Victoria Harms.
Harms, who teaches a history class at Johns Hopkins, wanted her students to learn more about the important role Baltimore played in the Civil Rights Movement.
"I'm from Kansas City. I'm always looking for opportunities to engage and connect with the community," Johns Hopkins student Nichole Calvin said.
This project was actually done in two parts.
Two weeks ago, the students went to the Maryland Center for History and Culture and saw a Civil Rights exhibit.
"Everyone obviously should be aware of that, but I think especially Hopkins students that aren't from Baltimore, that don't understand the history and don't really have an appreciation for all that Baltimore has done for us as Black Americans," Calvin said. "So much has happened here."
Harms also invited a panel of local Baltimoreans to speak to the students.
Joyce Dennison told the students about being arrested for protesting segregation.
"Hopefully I can motivate them to take an interest in history as a living subject," Dennison said. "Not just what happened in the past."
While this project is teaching the students about Baltimore's history, it is giving them a chance to learn more about one another.
"To see actually these students who have different backgrounds and have different experiences bond, that's wonderful to witness," Harms said.
