In fall 2023, Charles Person, the youngest of the 13 original Freedom Riders, generously opened his home for a conversation with Learning for Justice. We are honored to share with you a video excerpt from that conversation wherein Person recounts parts of his story, imparts wisdom and offers suggestions for ways people can engage in justice movements.
This conversation is the first in a series of interviews with veterans of the Civil Rights Movement.
Freedom Summer not only marked the mobilization of civil rights organizers in Mississippi during the 1960s, but it also yielded the creation of Freedom Schools and historic legislation. The fight for civil rights continues today, from voting rights to efforts to keep educators from teaching truthfully about our country’s full history. Use these resources next school year to help students contextualize Freedom Summer and how it connects to movements today.