Northeastern Law Students Immerse Themselves in Civil Rights History on Judge-Led Journey Through the Deep South

03.24.26 —In January, a group of Northeastern Law students participated in a powerful civil rights immersion trip to the Deep South led by federal judges from Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The journey took students from several law schools to pivotal sites including the Southern Center for Human Rights in Atlanta, the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) Legacy Sites in Montgomery, including the National Memorial for Peace and Justice and the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. Along the way, students learned directly from extraordinary voices such as Judge Myron Thompson, civil rights survivor Sarah Collins Rudolph and EJI founder Bryan Stevenson. The experience underscored the transformative power of place-based learning and deepened students’ engagement with issues of race, justice and the law.

The tour was conceived by Angel Kelley, US District Court Judge for the District of Massachusetts. Alongside Northeastern Law, other participating law schools included Boston College, Boston University, Harvard, Northeastern, UMass, Roger Williams, Suffolk and Western New England. According to Kelley, this is a journey that everyone needs to make, but most certainly future legal leaders.

“From beginning to end, the trip was immensely rewarding, on so many levels. Judge Kelley (D.Mass.) and Judge McConnell (D.R.I.) were passionate and gracious organizers, so warm and approachable and committed to making sure each student had the best learning experience,“ said Professor Andrew Haile, who accompanied the group alongside Professor Quisquella Addison. “The itinerary was chock full of moving visits and inspiring speakers and the trip confirmed for me the power of place in learning.”

This trip underscored for me that ‘good trouble' is important work, and I will carry that with me as I enter my legal career, remembering that justice requires not only speaking about it, but actively pursuing it every day," said Ezekiel Hopkins ’26, who participated in the civil rights trip. "Carrying on the work of our predecessors will take true courage, but it is necessary, and we all play a part."