American Experience has Invited College Students from across the country to “Get on the Bus.”

From May 6-16, 40 college students will join original Freedom Riders in retracing the 1961 Rides from Washington, DC to New Orleans, LA. Accepted students will participate at no cost to them. All transportation, hotel and food expenses are covered by American Experience.

Students will participate in an inter-generational conversation about civic engagement.

What does it mean today? What has changed since 1961? What inspires young people to “get on the bus”?


Burning Segregated Bus 1961

Civil rights came into practice on Nov, 1, 1961. So, SHARE the journey. Through live blogging, Twitter, and Facebook, following the ride on Twitter @pbsamex and @FreedomRidePBS and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ride.   For more information visit pbs.org/freedomriders. , the students on the bus will be able to share their experiences and, in a sense, bring others along on their journey.    The test and challenge segregated travel facilities throughout the South, and awaken the nation’s conscience to the reality and injustice of segregation.

        Like the very first Freedom Ride in 1961, the 2011 Student Freedom Ride will begin in Washington, DC. The journey will kick off with a series of events in partnership with many original Freedom Riders who will be gathered for 50th anniversary events. Then the ten-day journey will take students from Washington to Jackson, Mississippi. A ride that was men and women, black and some white, risked their lives standing up to segregation.The 2011 Student Freedom Ride Itinerary:
Day 1 – Friday, May 6 Washington, DC
Day 2 – Saturday, May 7 Washington, DC
Day 3 – Sunday, May 8   Washington, DC, Fredericksburg, VA, Richmond, VA, Petersburg, VA, Farmville, VA,   Lynchburg, VA
Day 4 – Monday, May 9 Lynchburg, VA, Greensboro NC, High Point NC, Charlotte, NC
Day 5 – Tuesday, May 10 Charlotte, NC, Rock Hill, SC, Winnsboro, SC, Augusta, GA
Day 6 – Wednesday, May 11 Augusta, GA, Atlanta GA, Anniston AL
Day 7 – Thursday, May 12 Anniston, AL, Nashville, TN
Day 8 – Friday, May 13   Nashville, TN, Birmingham, AL
Day 9 – Saturday, May 14   Birmingham, AL,   Montgomery AL
Day 10 – Sunday, May 15   Montgomery, AL, Selma, AL,
Day 11 – Monday, May 16   Jackson, MS, New Orleans, LA
A A&T STUDENT SELECTED FOR FREEDOM RIDE!
And, a senior at Eastern Oregon University, will participate in this journey at: Twitter @pbsamex and @FreedomRidePBS
Follow University student Marshall Houston on twitter: @Rider_Marshall on the ride.
A Hampshire College student Zilong Wang,
John Walker, 22, of Nicholasville and GREENSBORO --Three from North Carolina college.
And, also read about the students that will also be on the ride and their blog of the journey:

Maricela Aguilar
Liliana Astiz
Stephanie Burton
Meghna Chandra
Sarah Cheshire
Michellay Cole
Collis Crews
William Dale
Peter Davis
Rajlakshmi De

Rachael DeMarce
Francisco Diaz
Doaa Dorgham
JoyEllen Freeman
LeRoy Ford
Lu-Anne Haukaas Lopez
Marshall Houston
Bakhrom Ismoilov
Esther Kim
Davis Knittle

Karl Kumodzi
Diana Mahoney
Jason McGaughey
Tariq Meyers
May Mgbolu
Anna Nutter
Carla Orendorff
Ryan Price
Benjameen Quarless
Charles Reed Jr.

Robert Sgrignoli
Erica Shekell
Alicia Skeeter
Tania Smith
Michael Tubbs
John Walker
Zilong Wang
Jayanni Webster
Kaitlyn Whiteside
Samantha Williams

For those who care about social change, Webster specialized her studies at UT in post-conflict education in Africa under the advisement of Rosalind Hackett, director of the UT Department of Religious Studies, as Jayanni Webster believes the Freedom Ride would greatly impacts her current education program with a focus on peace education initiatives. An education experience...
We have come a long way, but we still have a long way to go....

The views expressed in these commentaries do not necessarily reflect those of PBS or WGBH.
Picture Reference:
freedom_riders_bus_1961: http://bit.ly/mpxtBO

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