A Coke machine that reads "White Customers Only," a bus depot sign marking a "White Waiting Room," and a man holding a sign saying "Keep Alabama White" were the images that began a civil rights presentation at Augusta Preparatory Day School last week.
"It is a way of looking at ourselves through the history of the civil rights movement," said Headmaster Jack Hall, who has taught a civil rights class at the school for the past eight years.
Hall helped direct 18 students in the production of the PowerPoint presentation. The students divided into six groups, with three in each group to research progression of the movement. They also wrote a script to accompany the photos and video footage. During the presentation, the students took turns narrating the production.
The program began with "This Was America," which covered some of the key moments in the civil rights movement. The desegregation of schools, the leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King in the movement and the fight to legalize integrated interstate travel were just some of the topics highlighted.
"Why was there a civil rights movement? What was it that created a need for the civil rights movement?," Hall said.
The presentation concluded with "This is America," looking at some of the issues that exist today.
"Can life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness be achieved when, for example, women receive 66 cents for every male dollar earned?" Hall asked.
