Sojourn to the Past

10/21/2026

🚔 What a FUN night making a difference!

Yesterday, we teamed up with our pal KODA THE FLUFF for the Daytona Police Department's Night Out! 🚓

And of course, Sojourn Project had to get in on the fun with our very own CUSTOM CAR! One incredibly lucky little girl even got to DRIVE OFF with it!

But beyond all the fun, the night was about something so important... teaching kids about SAFETY, building trust, and bringing our community together!

At Sojourn Project, we believe that kindness, education, and positive experiences can make a lasting impact. And sometimes, making a difference looks like putting a HUGE smile on a child's face!

A BIG thank you to KODA THE FLUFF and the Daytona Beach Police Dept. for letting us be part of such a special evening!

Little moments. BIG impact.

10/20/2026

If you have NEVER heard the beautiful Angela Lewis (daughter of James Chaney) sing, you are truly MISSING OUT! 🎶

This past weekend in San Francisco, we had the incredible honor of celebrating some of our amazing Sojourn Project Civil Rights Icons, and Angela blessed us with a BEAUTIFUL performance!

What an unforgettable evening filled with love, laughter, music, and most importantly, honoring the extraordinary women who helped change history!

These women aren't just Civil Rights Icons... they are our SOJOURN FAMILY!

10/19/2026

Last night, we had the incredible honor of celebrating some VERY special women of the Civil Rights Movement.

Women who dared. Women who cared. Women who changed history.

These are women who stood up in the face of hatred, injustice, and unimaginable adversity. Women who found courage when the world tried to silence them. Women who didn't just witness history... they MADE history.

🦋 At Sojourn Project, we have the extraordinary privilege of learning from these living legends, hearing their stories, sharing their laughter, and, most importantly, calling them FAMILY.

But last night was different. Last night wasn't about asking them to share their stories or teach us lessons. Last night was about celebrating THEM.

Their courage, their sacrifices, their resilience, their humanity. And the incredible impact they continue to have on generations.

We often talk about honoring history, but how fortunate are we to be able to honor the people who MADE that history while they are still here with us?

To these remarkable women, THANK YOU. Thank you for daring to stand up, for caring enough to make a difference, and for continuing to inspire all of us to create a kinder, more just and inclusive world.

10/17/2026

Alcatraz is more than just a famous prison. It is also a place with a powerful connection to the fight for civil rights, equality, and justice in America.

During our time in San Francisco, we had the opportunity to explore Alcatraz and reflect on a history that goes far beyond the prison cells and infamous inmates.

Most people know Alcatraz for its notorious criminals, including Al Capone and Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson, pictured here. But there are other stories that deserve just as much attention.

In 1969, a group of Native American activists occupied Alcatraz Island for 19 months, demanding recognition of Indigenous rights, honoring broken treaties, and calling attention to generations of injustice. Their courageous stand became a defining moment in the Native American civil rights movement.

Alcatraz also held men who challenged injustice through acts of conscience, including conscientious objectors who refused military service because of their deeply held beliefs.

And while Bumpy Johnson's story is complicated, his experience growing up in the segregated South reminds us of the racial divisions that shaped so many lives in America.

🦋 At Sojourn Project, we believe history isn't always comfortable, and it isn't always simple. But it is ALWAYS worth learning.

Whether we're standing on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, walking through the streets of Birmingham, or exploring a former prison in San Francisco, we are reminded that the fight for equality has taken many forms and involved many communities.

Civil rights history isn't confined to one city, one movement, or one group of people. It is woven into the fabric of our entire nation.

And every place we visit gives us another opportunity to listen, learn, reflect, and ask ourselves one important question:

What are WE doing today to create a more just, compassionate, and inclusive tomorrow?

Learn History. Change the Future.

10/16/2026

Today, we are embarking on a DIFFERENT kind of Sojourn Project journey! ❤️

Usually, our students travel across the country to learn from the incredible civil rights icons who helped shape history. But today, we are turning the tables and taking THEM on a journey!

We are kicking off a very special couple of days in San Francisco celebrating and honoring the extraordinary women who have dedicated their lives to fighting for equality, justice, and civil rights!

Our day began with a Sojourn Project experience around San Francisco alongside District Attorney Brooke Jenkins!

One of our stops was learning about Angel Island, often referred to as the "Ellis Island of the West." From 1910 to 1940, Angel Island served as a major immigration station where hundreds of thousands of immigrants, particularly those from Asia, were processed. Many faced discrimination, harsh questioning, and lengthy detention because of exclusionary immigration laws.

And THAT is exactly why this experience connects so deeply to the mission of Sojourn Project.

Civil rights history isn't just Black history. It is OUR history. It is the story of people from different backgrounds who have faced discrimination, fought injustice, and demanded the dignity and equality that every human being deserves.

🦋At Sojourn Project, we believe that understanding our shared history helps us build empathy, compassion, and a more inclusive future.

This afternoon, we will have the incredible privilege of honoring these remarkable ladies alongside the Mayor of San Francisco!

These women have spent their lives making history, inspiring generations, and changing the world. Now it's OUR turn to celebrate THEM!

What an incredible reminder that Sojourn is more than a trip. It's a journey of learning, connection, gratitude, and honoring those who paved the way.

Learn History. Change the Future.

CivilRightsIcons LearnHistoryChangeTheFuture EqualityForAll

10/16/2026

🎬 The full 90-minute conversation is here.

Kyland Young (Big Brother, The Amazing Race, The Challenge) sits down with founder, Jeff Steinberg — the former U.S. History teacher who left the classroom to found The Sojourn Project (aka Sojourn to the Past) — to talk about why a textbook wasn't enough, what shifts in a student mid-journey, and what he hopes they carry home.

Jeff spent over a decade teaching U.S. History in high school before deciding a textbook wasn't enough. He has since led more than 20,000 students, plus hundreds of teachers and law enforcement officers, into the places where the American Civil Rights Movement actually happened.

Sojourn Project is an award-winning educational nonprofit that leads immersive Civil Rights journeys through the American South for middle and high school students, college students, educators, law enforcement, and community leaders. Students have had the opportunity to learn directly from the people who lived it — among them Minnijean Brown-Trickey and Elizabeth Eckford of the Little Rock Nine, Myrlie Evers-Williams, Reena Evers, Sarah Collins Rudolph, the late Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, and the late Congressman John Lewis.

Learn History. Change the Future.

🎓 Sponsor a student on a Civil Rights journey:
https://form-renderer-app.donorperfect.io/give/sojourn-to-the-past/empower-change-sponsor-a-student-on-a-civil-rights-journey

🌐 Website: https://www.sojournproject.org
📩 Contact: [email protected]

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Recipient of the 2011 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, presented by First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House, the Coretta Scott King A.N.G.E.L. Award, and the National Education Association's Carter G. Woodson Memorial Award.

10/15/2026

27 years. 123 trips. 20,200 students. Over a million people reached.

What IS the Sojourn Project? Founder Jeff Steinberg tells the story of going from teaching one high school class to taking students, law enforcement, and district attorneys through the American South to retrace the civil rights movement of the 50s and 60s.

🎙️ Interview by Kyland Young

Full video on YouTube
Follow Sojourn Project for more!

10/15/2026

10/14/2026

This week, Sojourn Project is honored to bring two extraordinary women and living legends of the Civil Rights Movement, Minnijean Brown-Trickey and Elizabeth Eckford, to the San Francisco Bay Area for a special speaking tour!

As members of the Little Rock Nine, these courageous women helped change the course of American history in 1957 when they faced hatred, threats, and unimaginable adversity while integrating Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas.

Nearly 70 years later, their voices remain as powerful and important as ever.

Throughout the week, Minnijean and Elizabeth will share their personal experiences with students at Hillsdale High School, Aragon High School, Burlingame High School, and Mills High School, along with special community presentations.

Imagine being a student and having the opportunity to hear history directly from the women who MADE history!

At Sojourn Project, we believe that history isn't just something you read in a textbook. It's something you experience, something you feel, and something that inspires you to take action.

Through these powerful conversations, we hope to inspire the next generation to lead with courage, practice kindness, stand up against injustice, and recognize the power of their own voices.

We are incredibly grateful to Minnijean and Elizabeth for continuing to share their stories and to the schools and community partners making these meaningful experiences possible.

🦋 Learn History. Change the Future.

10/14/2026

in 1964, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was announced as the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, becoming, at just 35 years old, the youngest person in history to receive the honor at that time.

But Dr. King's greatest achievement wasn't the award itself. It was the movement he helped inspire, built on the belief that love is stronger than hate, nonviolence is more powerful than oppression, and ordinary people have the power to create extraordinary change.

🦋 At Sojourn Project, we don't just teach Dr. King's history. We walk in his footsteps, visit the places where history was made, and help the next generation understand that the fight for equality, justice, and human dignity is far from over.

Dr. King taught us that change requires courage, compassion, and action. His legacy reminds us that even the smallest acts of kindness can help build a better world.

History isn't just something we remember. It's something we learn from and carry forward.

Learn History. Change the Future.