| Pre-Reunion |
November 7th - 8th
Pre-Registration
|
Freedom Riders who arrive early may register
and begin their oral histories by inquiring at the front desk
of the Crowne Plaza Hotel. |
Official Reunion
|
| Thursday, November 8th
|
| 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm |
Welcome Reception at the Mississippi Museum
of Art
Located two blocks from the Crowne Plaza and Edison Walthall
Hotels. Transportation will be available for those in need of
assistance.
(Limited to Freedom Riders, Immediate Family, VIPs and Media)
|
| Friday, November 9th |
| 9:30 am - 1:00 pm |
Civil Rights Bus Tour
Stops include visits to the Jackson City Jail, the home of slain
civil rights leader Medgar Evers, and the Old Capitol Museum.
(Limited to Freedom Riders, Immediate Family, VIPS and Media) |
Lunch
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm |
Lunch - Freelon's
In the heart of the historic African-American Farish Street
District
(Limited to Freedom Riders, Immediate Family, VIPs and Media) |
| 3:00 pm - 4:00 |
Planetarium News Footage Showing
Visit to Planetarium where news footage of 1961 Freedom Rides
will be shown on the ceiling of the planetarium. Located two
blocks from the Crowne Plaza and Edison Walthall Hotels. Transportation
available for those in need of assistance.
(Limited to Freedom Riders, Immediate Family, VIPS and Media) |
| 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm |
Return to hotel. Free time. Individual & group oral
interviews continue.
|
5:15pm - 7:00pm |
Gathering at the Old Greyhound Bus Depot
Site of Freedom Riders arrests. Bus Depot now the offices of
Robert Adams, renowned state and local architect. Building still
retains original façade and fixtures from Bus Depot days.
Refreshments served. Located directly across the street from
Crowne Plaza. (Limited to Freedom Riders, Immediate Family,
VIPs and Media) |
|
Dinner
7:00 pm - ?
|
Dinner - On Your Own
A list of restaurants within walking distance will be provided.
|
| Saturday, November 10th
(Public invited all day) |
| 9:00 am - 10:00 am |
Shuttle Service to Tougaloo From Hotels |
Keynote Speeches
10:00 am - 11:30 pm |
Invocation
Keynote speeches by architects & participants of the Freedom
Rides including:
- Reverend James Bevel (whose strategy of filling the jails
with children, with the blessings of Dr. King, helped win civil
rights victories throughout the South)
- Reverend C.T. Vivian (who helped coordinate the Freedom Rides)
- Bob Singleton (Chair of the Economics Department at UCLA)
- Dr. James Forman (former President of SNCC)
- Dave Dennis (Field Director for CORE MS Project and Co-Director
of COFO)
- Hon. Tom Hayden (former CA State Senator & Albany, GA
Freedom Rider -tentative)
- Hon. Bob Filner (US Congressman from San Diego, CA)
- Rabbi Israel Dresner (Tallahassee, FL Freedom Rider)
- Hon. Carol Ruth Silver (former San Francisco Supervisor; Reunion
Chair)
- David Lisker (Reunion Coordinator)
- Steve McNichols ("The Last Freedom Ride" - Houston,
TX)
- Others to be announced
|
Panel Discussions
11:30 - 12:30 |
Panel Discussion on the Freedom Rides
(panel members to be announced) |
Lunch
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm |
Food will be available for purchase at Tougaloo
College and nearby |
Workshops
1:30 pm - 2:30 |
Workshop A1: Group Oral History - The
public is invited to watch the filming of the oral history
of a group of Freedom Riders who served time in the MS State
Penitentiary at Parchman Farm.
Workshop A2: Step Into My Penny Loafers - Joan Browning
shares her memorabilia and experiences of her time as a
Freedom Rider in Albany, GA and leads a discussion among
other Freedom Rides on their own experiences.
Workshop A3: Presenting the Freedom Rides in Art and
Video - Jackson performance artist James Green presents
a video of a play incorporating real testimony from and
about the Freedom Riders and how it affected local residents
in the Jackson. area. Discussion on the Freedom Rides in
the arts with author Steve McNichols of "The Last Freedom
Ride" and Judith Reinitz, NY visual artist.
|
| 2:30 pm - 3:00 pm |
Break |
| Workshops 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm |
Workshop B1: Teaching The Movement
- Educators attending the Reunion will share methods and materials
for teaching the movement to grades K-12. Educators are invited
to share their ideas.
Workshop B2: Women in the Movement - Joan Browning,
Julia Aaron Humbles and other women share their experiences
in the Movement.
Workshop B3: Where Do We Go From Here? - In a world
of increasing uncertainty and danger, how do we preserve
and extend the gains that our sacrifices won? With Carol
Ruth Silver and Bob Singleton
|
| 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm |
Shuttle Service to Hotel |
| 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm |
Free Time (Dinner On Your Own) |
| 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm |
Shuttle Service to Tougaloo |
| 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm |
Saturday Night Freedom Song Hootenanny.
Performers to be announced. Freedom Song lyrics will be provided.
Expect to sing along |
| 9:30 pm - 10:30 pm |
Shuttle Service to Hotel |
| Sunday, November 11th
|
| 8:45 am - 9:45 am |
Shuttle Service to Tougaloo |
| 9:45 am - 11:15 am |
Sunday Morning Ecumenical Religious Service
on Tougaloo College Chapel Lawn |
| 11:15 am |
Plaque Dedication.
Honoring The Freedom Riders at Tougaloo College by Mayor Harvey
Johnson Jr. and the people of Jackson |
|
Farewells
11:30 am - 12:30 pm
|
Reunion Ends.
Shuttle Service to Hotels
Final oral histories conducted for those staying over in
Jackson
|
