Tapestry of Faith: A Chorus of Faiths: A Program That Builds Interfaith Youth Leaders

Activity 2: Story - The March at Selma

Activity time: 10 minutes

Materials for Activity

Preparation for Activity

  • Read the story and prepare to present it effectively.
  • Optional: Copy the story for all participants.

Description of Activity

Youth hear a story of interfaith cooperation changing the world and consider how they might emulate the actions of interfaith leaders who supported the 1965 Selma March.

Tell or read the story. Or, distribute copies to participants and invite volunteers to read aloud, taking turns at each sentence or paragraph. Remind the group that anyone may pass.

Then, lead a short discussion using these questions:

  • Had you heard of the march before? What did you learn that was new?
  • How do you think these different people managed to work together?
  • Did you know there was such significant Unitarian Universalist participation in the Civil Rights Movement?
  • What Unitarian Universalist values support the actions that Rev. Reeb and Viola Liuzzo took? What values and beliefs do you hold that support these actions?
  • Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a committed Baptist, as was Jimmy Lee Jackson, while Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel was Jewish. What are some of the differences they had from one another? What similarities drew them together?

Tell participants:

These are some examples of faith heroes-people who work for justice out of their deep, though potentially differing, convictions. As we plan our interfaith service event, these heroes can be examples and inspiration for our work.