Hope in Perilous Times: Reflections on The Life of a Freedom Rider

In 1961 both African American and white civil rights activists rode interstate buses Washington DC to Birmingham, Ala., to protest segregated bus terminals and facilities. These Freedom Riders were often beaten, jailed, and even firebombed. Charles Person was the youngest of the Freedom Riders at only 18 years old. In Birmingham Ala he was nearly beaten to death by white mobs outside the greyhound bus terminal. After the Freedom Rides ended, Charles continued to be active in the civil rights movement. Charles, along with Pete Conroy helped create a national monument around the Freedom Rides. Together, they also founded the Freedom Riders Training Academy which seeks to train others on the modern implications of MLK’s core non-violent principles. Charles Person’s work embodies moral and ethical leadership during difficult times, both past and present.

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