Sojourn to the Past held a pasta dinner to help raise funds for students who are going on a leadership development, history immersion journey to Civil Rights sites across the South.

Students will leave on April 2, 2024 and will visit Birmingham, Montgomery, Jackson, Little Rock, and other cities to meet Civil Rights leaders and other members of the movement. 

Penny Wells, the Executive Director of Mahoning Valley's Sojourn to the Past, described the visit as a working journey, not a trip. Students going on the journey have had weekly after school meetings since November, and will complete assignments at night while they are down South. Wells says the biggest takeaway she hopes students get is that they have a voice, and that when they see something is wrong that they will speak up.

Wells says that another big part of the journey is learning about the principles of nonviolence and peaceful protest. 

"People think that nonviolence is just being passive and they are so wrong," Wells said. "Nonviolence action means you take action. You don't back away because things become hard. You don't back away because you see being ridiculed or being arrested. John Lewis over 40 times quietly doing the nonviolent work of social justice. So I hope they will become activists and stand up not just for civil rights, but stand up for someone who's being bullied." 

Sojourn to the Past will also be holding a Chipotle fundraiser at the Chipotle in Boardman on March 9 from 4 P.M. until 8 P.M. You can also support the Sojourn on their website through their website.