Families gathered at First Presbyterian Church in Youngstown to show their support for Sojourn to the Past.

The proceeds from the dinner will help high school students raise money for an eight day journey to Civil Rights sights in the South.

On April 2, a group of 15 will travel to Selma, Montgomery, Birmingham, Meridian, Hattiesburg, Jackson, Little Rock and Memphis. The students will meet civil rights icons, and develop an action plan for when they return to the valley.

“Our goal is not only to teach the kids about American history in the 50's and 60's in the south, but also for them to see what these leaders and soldiers did, and in some ways emulate them when they come back to Youngstown,” said Penny Wells, executive director of Mahoning Valley Sojourn to the Past.

The group is holding multiple fundraisers for the trip, including the spaghetti dinner at first Presbyterian Church.

The students who are going on the journey helped with setup, takedown, and also served food at the dinner.

“They chose me and I'm glad to be a part of this,” said Ny’onica White, student at East High School. “When you learn about the past it's easier not to make the same mistakes in the future.”

One student said he hopes the trip will help him see the importance of learning history.

“You experience stuff you need to experience, and you realize why they teach this stuff in history class,” said Falcon Mickeo, student at Chaney High School.

The group is also holding an event at the Tyler History Center to commemorate the anniversary of Bloody Sunday March 2 at 3:00 p.m.

This was when civil rights marchers were attacked by police and state troopers in Selma, Alabama. Wells said the tragedy played a huge role in shaping our history.

“That incident led to congress passing the voting rights act of 1965. So we're going to talk about that, show some video, and then we're going to walk across the Peanut Bridge, which is over the Mahoning River, which is very similar to the Edmund Pettus Bridge,” said Wells.

Wells feels learning about the past can lead to a brighter future.

“People of the Civil Rights movement stepped out, stood up, made a difference. And we all need to do that whether it’s in our schools and we step out and step up when we see something being bullied, or whether it's in our own community,” said Wells.