Sign In Forgot Password

Update on Civil Rights Tour


Dear fellow, would-be Civil Rights Tour participants,

We’re writing to let you know that we are canceling the planned and much anticipated civil rights tour. This also applies to the pre-trip dinner at the Landsbergs’ on April 26. We are sad and disappointed, but feel this is the responsible course to keep all of us safe and help reduce the further spread of COVID-19. Please read on for more information about our thinking and what this means.

The CDC has extended its guidance for large events and mass gatherings into May. In addition, Governor Newsom has asked that individuals over 65 and individuals with underlying health problems isolate themselves at home.

Given uncertainty about how long the pandemic will last and whether it will recur in the fall or spring, it would be difficult to simply postpone to a new date. Moreover, we understand that many of us need plenty of advance notice to make travel plans. For these reasons, we are opting to cancel and provide refunds at this time. Once the pandemic is safely behind us, we can try again, and see how many congregants are interested in scheduling the tour afresh.

We’re very sorry for the inconvenience to those of you who have already bought airline tickets and, in many cases, made additional travel plans to tack onto the civil rights tour. Please note that many airlines, hotels, and even Airbnb are offering additional flexibility regarding changing or canceling reservations. So far, this flexibility generally extends through April, but we suspect they will soon extend it into May.

Later this week, we’ll send another message with more information about how we’ll handle refunds. (We need to check with the office about how to do this most efficiently.) If you have any questions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact Judy at  racialjustice@bnais.com or by phone at (619) 850-3526.

Please know that, despite this cancellation, we remain immensely grateful for the generosity of spirit, intellectual curiosity, and enthusiasm with which you all have participated in our many pre-trip events. Speaking for us, we have learned so much about civil rights, our community, and ourselves through these presentations and conversations. We can consider the past year of activities to be a journey in itself, and we thank you for embarking on it with us.

With warmest regards, and best wishes for staying healthy and safe,

Judy Heiman and Martha Moon

Thu, March 28 2024 18 Adar II 5784