Trudy Munford and Georgia Calhoun talk about their civil rights activism, education, and their faith in the newest episode of “The Y Health Podcast.”
Trudy Munford and Georgia Calhoun speak on The Y Health Podcast, hosted by Dr. Cougar Hall, on how they fought for civil rights and how their faith allowed them the strength to fight through intense opposition.
Trudy Munford is a writer, currently on the board of the Freedom Writers Foundation, and helps with the Freedom Writers Training Academy. She was — and still is — a civil rights activist and was a public school teacher in Buffalo, New York.
Georgia Calhoun was a teacher and civil rights activist as well. She was a board member for the Anderson Museum of Natural History and helped fund the creation of the marker for the Greyhound bus bombing in Anniston, Alabama.
Both these women are renowned for being incredible civil rights activists. Trudy remembered the moment she realized that she needed to get involved in civil rights activism during her formative college years.
“They never said do, but they said, ‘Don’t do this. Don’t do, don’t do.’ So anyway, I got involved.”
Getting involved in civil rights activism for Trudy meant she would face harsh opposition, eventually leading to her being arrested for peaceful protest. She was then forced to stay four weeks in a local penitentiary for her legal protest.
Calhoun also fought constantly for civil rights activism. As a teacher, she would help educate children and was all for giving equal opportunities to all of her students, no matter their race or gender.
That passion led her to be a huge advocate for forward policies such as integration in libraries. This was met with opposition as well. She mentions in the podcast how she and a Methodist church pastor, the Rev. McCain, tried to help integrate the library in the city by attending it.
When they got there, McCain was assaulted by police officers, who ended up busting his skull and not allowing him to receive treatment at the hospital for peacefully trying to use a public library.
Calhoun said, “I’m sorry to say … the police at the time … was as much the Klan as anybody else.”
That level of opposition to change did not stop the two in their individual fight for there to be a systematic change for the better.
Calhoun was appointed to the board of the Anderson Museum of Natural History and was the first person of color to be on the board. She would be constantly asked why she would attend.
“Why do you come out here? You’re the only Black person out here,” Calhoun said. “And I said, ‘And that will change.’”
Both women were instrumental in changing the culture and advocating for a better and more equal future. When asked about where they gained the strength to keep moving forward through opposition, both women pointed back to their faith.
“Read Psalms 27. It gives you strength. It gives you the strength, courage, and any wrong that’s been done to you. You know it’s OK,” Munford said.
Through relying on faith and knowing that their individual effort would pay off, both of these women were able to help make huge strides within the civil rights movement in their schools, community, and states.
Both women were huge instigators of showing love in hateful environments and being peacemakers in a time when it was difficult to be one. They elaborate on the importance of showing forgiveness and love when it feels the hardest to do so.
“So you know the power of love and the power of forgiveness. And just taking the negative and making it a positive. That’s a lot for you.”
During the civil rights movement, both women were forced to face large amounts of targeted physical, social, and political violence. Through it all, they still advocated for helping with education and social reforms and showed the power of kindness and love in a hostile world.
Through showing grace and forgiveness and allowing others to change, Trudy and Georgia helped forge an example of peacemakers for all of us to aspire to.
Calhoun said, “The last word is the more we get together, the better we’ll be.”
Listen to more of their story on The Y Health Podcast with Cougar Hall here:https://ph.byu.edu/podcast