Bridgeport, Alabama, was the recipient of a 2023 DEI Community Impact Grant from Tennessee RiverLine to support an event held on May 11, 2023. The event celebrated the area’s rich history and introduced Bridgeport Middle School students to outdoor recreation through paddling, advocacy and historical interpretation. It was a partnership between Russell Cave National Monument, the Tennessee Valley Civil War Roundtable, the City of Bridgeport and members of the South Pittsburg and Muscle Shoals Tennessee RiverLine Local Leadership Teams.
At Bridgeport Middle School, 73% of the student body participates in the National School Lunch Program and many of those students do not have access to river recreation. While middle school students in Bridgeport face a high degree of poverty, the May 11 event, made possible through grant funds, ensured socio-economic status was not a determining factor for a child’s engagement with their community's cultural and historical assets.
“We recognize that socio-economic, cultural and physical factors prevent some residents of river communities from enjoying river recreation,” said Brad Collett, Director of Tennessee RiverLine and professor in The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Herbert College of Agriculture and College of Architecture and Design. “Events like Bridgeport’s that introduce new users to the river and provide education around its history help overcome those barriers and inspire stewardship and enjoyment of this natural resource for generations to come.”
There were 127 Bridgeport Middle School Students at the event supported by 66 JROTC cadets from Fort Payne High School, 41 parents, 34 community volunteers, 22 Bridgeport Middle School teachers and staff, and five presenters, a total of 295 participants. Those participants received kayaking safety and paddling instruction, lessons on Native American use of the river and Bridgeport’s role in the US Civil War, demonstrations of Civil War soldier life and equipment and discussion about the Tennessee RiverLine from the perspective of TJ Johnson, who kayaked all 652 miles of the river in 2022. The event enhanced student understanding of the history, culture, recreational value and economic importance of the area.
“We realized that many students and their families had limited access to the amazing resources, history, culture and recreation offered by the Tennessee River in our small community,” said Lt. Col. (Ret.) John Walker of the Tennessee RiverLine’s Local Leadership Team in Bridgeport. “This grant provided us with an opportunity to connect with many of these underserved kids and their families. Approximately 65% of the participants were first-time paddlers and about half had never been on the river at all. Few of the students had any knowledge of the significance of the river to our town. The deep ties between the river and Native Americans and the importance of the Civil War-era railroad bridge and steamboat port that gave rise to our city’s name were relatively unknown to these students. In addition to participation by Bridgeport Middle School students and staff, the Fort Payne High School JROTC Cadets helped organize and lead groups through interpretive, instruction and paddle stations. The event was an outstanding success according to the BMS principal, Mr. Shawn Phillips, and feedback from students, parents, presenters and volunteers. The event would not have been possible without the hard work of all the people involved who volunteered and supported it. A special thanks to our presenters, the City of Bridgeport, our Tennessee RiverLine Local Leadership Team peers in South Pittsburg, Jackson County and Muscle Shoals and the Tennessee RiverLine staff.”
The Bridgeport event was inspiring, demonstrated the power of partnerships and introduced a large number of participants to river recreation and the Tennessee River’s history.
