Delegations
Traveling Together to Learn from Women Around the World
2026 Delegation to Alabama | April 29 - May 3
Delegations are an integral part of CWD’s history and mission. These trips facilitate meaningful conversations with women leaders in democracies around the world and here at home. We meet with elected officials, human rights advocates, nonprofit organizations, industry leaders, and Indigenous communities to learn about the lives and experiences of women in the places we visit.
These delegations create space for the exchange of ideas and the building of connections among fellow participants. They offer an opportunity to learn about the challenges and successes governments and societies face in advancing and protecting the rights of women and girls, as well as efforts to strengthen institutions and uphold democratic principles.
Alabama Civil Rights Delegation
A facilitated learning journey through Montgomery, Birmingham, and Selma to study the roots of U.S. democracy, center women’s leadership, and bring lessons home.
While CWD often travels internationally to learn about the lives of women, the structure of democracy, and political leadership, this year we decided that a domestic delegation was appropriate, as it gives us the opportunity to examine our own democratic foundations and how we arrived at this moment.
Alabama is home to some of the most pivotal sites of the Civil Rights Movement—places where systems of racial terror were exposed and where organized resistance reshaped the nation. Traveling through Montgomery, Birmingham, and Selma allows us to trace the arc from enslavement and racial violence to collective action and organized resistance.
The Civil Rights Movement isn’t just history—it is lived memory. It is the courage of ordinary people who risked everything so future generations could stand a little taller and speak a little freer. It lives in the ground we walk on and in the rights we sometimes take for granted. To understand this history is to honor the sacrifices that made this moment possible—and to recognize that the work of justice is not finished.
Delegation Details
Over the course of four days, we will visit the key sites that tell the story of the Civil Rights struggle in Alabama.
Our facilitator, Ann Clemons, TMP, CTIS, is a dedicated tour guide and tour specialist who brings history to life with clarity, compassion, and a deep respect for the people whose courage shaped the Civil Rights Movement.
Drawing on a diverse professional background in travel and tourism, event planning and economic development, she creates experiences that are both informative and deeply meaningful — inviting guests to reflect, ask questions, and see themselves within the larger story of community and change.
Ann's highlights include voice-over work for the Southern Poverty Law Center's film "Faces in the Water," portraying Mamie Till, performing as Mother Rosa Parks for various audiences, and appearing as a 1950s character in Ava DuVernay's award-winning film "Selma." including the National Voting Rights Museum, Edmund Pettus Bridge, and Tuskegee Airmen Museum.
Dates: Arrive April 29th (meet and greet in the evening) | Delegation begins April 30th & ends May 3rd
Hotel: Staybridge Suites Montgomery - Downtown
Airports: Montgomery Airport is the closest. Birmingham Airport is 1.5 hours away. Atlanta Airport is 2.5 hours away.
Length: 5 days in total
Delegation price: $1700 double occupancy | $2000 single occupancy
Price includes*:
4 nights lodging (April 29-May 3)
Group transportation to all of the sites (except to the Legacy sites which are within walking distance)
Admissions to all of the sites
Selected meals- welcome reception, two group lunches, two group dinners
Facilitator and guides
*Airfare, travel insurance, personal expenses, and meals not listed are not included
Who Should Attend
This delegation is for people who want to learn honestly, reflect deeply, and engage with history in community.
You are encouraged to join us if you:
Are curious about civil rights history and its relevance today
Value facilitated conversation and self reflection
Are open to emotionally challenging material
Want to share your experience with your community and search for ways to get involved
A limited number of scholarships are available. Please apply here.
Delegation Registration
To secure your spot on the trip you must pay the deposit of $500. Once you click submit you'll be sent to the payment page.
There are only 31 spots available, and it is first come first serve. Registration closes on March 15th and Final Payments are due March 29th.
This is not a sightseeing trip. It is a facilitated civic learning experience that combines:
Guided historical site visits
Museum and memorial learning
Daily reflection and facilitated discussions
Structured conversations connecting history to present-day democracy
Community building with fellow participants committed to equity and leadership
Participants leave with:
A deeper understanding of civil rights history and how change was made
Tools and language to engage in conversations about race and democracy
Clarity about how progress is protected and responsibility carried forward
Renewed grounding for civic, professional, and community leadership
Why This Journey Matters
This journey is an opportunity to honor those who came before us. To deepen understanding by learning directly from the places and people connected to the movement. To reflect, grow, and bring back insights that help us advocate for fairness, support inclusion, and contribute to a more equitable and respectful society.
Being present in the places where people risked everything for dignity and justice reveals what change truly required: how courage was practiced daily, how community sustained resistance, and how vision carried people forward even when the future felt uncertain.
The past does more than explain where we’ve been - it prepares us for what lies ahead. What we remember shapes how we lead, how we advocate, and how we carry responsibility forward.
This journey intentionally centers women’s leadership - organizers, strategists, caretakers, educators, and movement builders - whose labor made progress possible but whose stories are too often left out of dominant narratives.
Past Delegations
Past Delegations have included visits to Peru, Chile, Cuba, Morocco, Vietnam, South Africa, Sweden, the Baltics, Rwanda, Israel and Palestine, and Iceland.
Delegations are a great opportunity to make friends and create networks around the world. During these trips you will form life-long friendships, learn about a different culture and ways of life, and challenge and expand your world view.
“When I think about the trips, I immediately think about the time on the buses after a great discussion or meeting. They were always buzzing with conversation, laughter, a-ha moments, and sharing. We had our heads and hearts filled with these mind-bending experiences and then we’d get on a bus, sit next to someone randomly, and just talk and talk until we got to our next destination.”
