De Souza Participates in Civil Rights Pilgrimage to Alabama and Georgia

Service immersion trips are a foundation of Regis’ mission, culture, and community. As a university that provides students the opportunity to serve the dear neighbor without distinction, Regis offers many service opportunities throughout the year, both locally and internationally.

Bryan De Souza of Everett spent the 2023 spring break on a Civil Rights Pilgrimage to Birmingham, Montgomery, and Selma, Alabama, and Atlanta, Georgia, cities important in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. On this trip, Regis students immersed themselves in the history of the Civil Rights Movement and explored the important anti-racism and civil rights work being done today.

“This trip was a transformational experience for everyone. At a time when the nation continues to experience violence, racism and poverty, the importance of this pilgrimage cannot be underestimated. Students learned how a social movement built on peace, faith and courage transformed the country. They were able to witness how being an upstander, a foot soldier for social justice leads to inclusivity and equity. The students are now better prepared for the struggle and work to serve dear neighbors without distinction,” said Madeleine Lopez, Director, Center for Inclusive Excellence and a staff leader of the service trip.

Among the sites the students visited are the King Center, Edmund Pettus Bridge, Freedom Rides Museum, and more. The students also participated in worship at Ebenezer Baptist Church, the church where Martin Luther King, Jr. served as pastor for several years.

Regis College is a coed university 12 miles west of Boston in Weston, Mass. sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph Boston. With over 3,600 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students enrolled on campus and in fully online graduate programs, Regis provides an academically rigorous education within the schools of nursing, arts and sciences, business and communication, and health sciences. The Young School of Nursing at Regis has consistently been recognized by the National League of Nursing as a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education. In line with Regis’ mission of providing innovative, industry-focused learning opportunities, the university offers academic partnerships with hospitals and local employers, a clinical dental center in Waltham, Mass., and bachelor’s completion and accelerated nursing programs at its campus in Lawrence, Mass. The university’s 20 NCAA Division III athletic teams compete within the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC). Inspired by the social justice values of its founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston, Regis engages with service initiatives within the local community and around the world.

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