Most of us who photographed civil rights were new to the South, and the close knit black culture we discovered there was both a personal revelation and a transformative experience. The people we encountered, shaped by adversity and discrimination were for the most part resilient, hopeful, resourceful, and above all, welcoming. These portraits, which include local people of all ages as well as civil rights workers and portraits of groups, reflect our responses to both chance encounters and friendships that changed our lives.