Tour participants stop at Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama during the Teach the Truth Tour.From March 2 to March 7, 2025, Barry University students, faculty, and staff participated in the Teach the Truth Tour, a Spring Break educational experience designed to deepen historical understanding, reflection, and civic awareness. Sponsored by the Miami Center for Racial Justice and funded by the Mellon Foundation, the tour invited participants to engage thoughtfully with sites connected to Florida’s Civil Rights history and the broader national narrative of truth, memory, and reconciliation.
Throughout the week, participants traveled through central and northern Florida and into Montgomery, Alabama, visiting historically significant locations associated with racial violence, resistance, and healing. The tour included visits to Greenwood Cemetery in Orlando; Rosewood Cemetery, where participants learned about the legacy of the Rosewood Massacre; and Ocoee, Florida, where historic markers commemorate the Orange County Election Day Violence.
Participants also visited Live Oak, Florida, to reflect on the life of Willie J. Howard Jr., and Marianna, Florida, including the Jackson County Courthouse, to examine the local impacts of racial injustice.
A central component of the experience was the visit to the Equal Justice Initiative’s Legacy Museum and the National Monument to Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama. These sites provided historical context and opportunities for reflection on the long arc of American history, the justice system, and collective responsibility.
The Teach the Truth Tour emphasized education, historical literacy, and ethical leadership while fostering connection among participants. Through shared travel, learning, and reflection, the experience encouraged participants to consider how historical knowledge informs present-day civic engagement, professional responsibility, and community leadership.