Students are constantly asked:

“What are you willing to put your life on the line for?
How are you going to make a difference when you go home?”

On the last evening of the journey, students meet with their fellow local school students to develop an action plan to implement when they return home. Youngstown Sojourn students’ action plans included:

• In 2007 and 2008, Youngstown Sojourn students registered over 500 high school students to vote and provided voter education because many died in the South just trying to register to vote.

• In 2009, the students registered over 300 high school students to vote, designed a Nonviolence Week for Youngstown schools, wrote a Nonviolence Workshop, created Nonviolence work walls, wrote PA announcements focusing on a principle of Nonviolence and highlighting a person who exemplified that principle, designed Nonviolence t-shirts for students to wear during the week selling over 1700, distributed large posters of the principles of nonviolence for principals to hang in their building. Five nonviolence billboards were placed around Youngstown and Minnijean Brown Trickey, one of the Little Rock Nine, came to Youngstown and taught the Sojourn students to be facilitators for the workshops. The mayor and city council passed resolutions declaring the week of October 2-8, 2009 Nonviolence Week in the city.

• 2010 Sojourn students petitioned the school board, city council, county commissioners and YSU trustees asking them to make the first week in October annually Nonviolence Week, which they all did.

• 2011 Sojourn students organized the First Annual Nonviolence Parade and Rally in downtown Youngstown. At the students’ request, Congressman John Lewis spoke to high school students at Youngstown East in October.

• In 2012 the Mahoning County commissioners passed a resolution making the first week in October Nonviolence Week in the county.

•  2013 – at the request of Youngstown Sojourn students, Senator Schiavoni introduced “Nonviolence Week in Ohio” bill in the Senate in January. It passed the Senate in April. Two Sojourn students testified before the House of Representatives in May. The House passed the bill in June. On July 11, 2013, a bus full of Sojourn members were with Governor Kasich when he signed Sojourn’s “Nonviolence Week in Ohio” bill, making Ohio Nonviolence Week the first week in October permanent.

• 2014/2015 speakers were Joan Mulholland, freedom rider, Clark Olsen, Simeon Wright, Emmett Till’s cousin, and Dale Killinger, FBI agent who reopened the Emmett Till case.

• 2016 Sojourn to the Past received the Coretta Scott King A.N.G.L.E. Peace Award recognizing accomplishments of Youngstown Sojourn students.

• 2017 -Nonviolence Week expanded to seven days of activities including the Simeon Booker Award for Courage.

• 2018 students led walk-outs in support of students in Parkland, Fl where 17 were murdered. They participated in March for Our Lives in Washington D.C., rallying for gun legislation.

• 2019 – Sojourn partnered with EJI and Sandusky NAACP to gather dirt at the site of lynching of William Taylor.

• 2020 – Sojourn commissioned and dedicated a Civil Rights mural in Selma, Alabama. They helped organize a rally for justice in memory of George Floyd. They led a vigil after the death of John Lewis and in December held a vigil for two Black men murdered by law enforcement in Columbus. In June, they presented a Black Lives Matter resolution to the CEO of the Youngstown City Schools, which he approved. This let to the creation of YCS Equity Committee. Members spent the summer researching and writing an “Antiracism: Be a Difference Maker Workshop.” They have presented to all of the Youngstown City School staff, ALTA, administrators in Boardman and Austintown school districts, two organizations in Canfield, Mount Olivet Church in North Lima along with other organizations. The participated and spoke at a Black Lives Matter rally and a public forum in Canfield.

• 2021- In celebration of MLK Day, Sojourn students read a book about about Dr. King to third graders with a culminating activity for students to illustrate how they can be of service to others. Sojourn purchased the book Dear Martin and read it to eighth grade students at MLK Elementary school. Sojourn students continued to present their workshop including to 135 administrators and administrative assistants at M.D. Anderson Hospital in Houston, Texas.