Freedom Rides Museum

09/05/2026

Happy Birthday to Ellen Ziskind who was 21 years old when he traveled on a Greyhound bus from Nashville, TN to Jackson, MS on July 29, 1961.

09/04/2026

Come join us at the FREE block party at the Rosa Parks Museum at Troy University tomorrow. Don't forget to register!

One more day! We hope you'll join us tomorrow to celebrate the Culture in Motion Community Boost Block Party. The event is 11A-3P and is completely FREE (but be sure to register)!

09/04/2026

in 1957, Arkansas governor Orval Faubus called in the National Guard to block nine African American students from entering Central High School in Little Rock, AR. This order was in direct violation of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Brown v. Board of Education(1954) and of a declaration from a federal judge days prior that ordered the students begin attending Central High.

On the morning of September 4, 1957, the students were met by National Guardsmen blocking the doors and an angry mob surrounding the school. The “Little Rock Nine” (as newspapers would soon call them) would not be able to attend classes until September 23, when police es**rted them into the building. Despite the police es**rt, the students were still confronted with an angry mob. School officials were forced to send the students home after only 3 hours of classes because of safety concerns. It was not until September 25 that the students were able to attend a full day of classes. The students were given National Guard and Army protection after Little Rock Mayor, Woodrow Mann, convinced President Dwight Eisenhower of the severity of the situation.

The image seen here depicts “The Little Rock Nine” being es**rted by National Guardsmen on the grounds of Central High School in Little Rock, AR.

09/04/2026

It’s and today we are spotlighting Joan Browning! Browning was born in rural Wheeler County, GA on July 25, 1942. She grew up on a farm before attending Georgia State College for Women. She was expelled from college in 1961 for attending a Black church.

Later that same year, Browning joined the Freedom Rides as part of testing Rides in November and December after the Interstate Commerce Commission made a ruling to remove segregated signage from vehicles and transit facilities. Browning and 8 others participated in a train Ride from Atlanta to Albany, GA to test the enforcement of this ruling. Despite the new law, Browning and her fellow Riders were all arrested. Being arrested and spending a week in jail did not deter her from activism. She continued to be a leader in the local Albany Movement as well as an organizer for the Federation of Southern Cooperatives and participant in anti-poverty campaigns. She graduated from West Virginia State College with a Bachelor of Arts in 1994 and now lives in West Virginia and shares her story both locally and nationally via online interviews. She has also written about her story in “Deep in Our Hearts: Nine White Women in the Freedom Movement”. Her section is entitled “Shiloh Witness”. You can also read the story of her fellow Freedom Rider, Casey Hayden, in “Deep in Our Hearts” as well.

In March of 2024, we had the honor of hosting Joan Browning as our guest speaker for our virtual book club. She spoke on her story, “Shiloh Witness” as well as her time as a Freedom Rider. You can find the recording of this discussion by going to our page and selecting “Reels”.

09/04/2026

Happy Birthday to Robert Filner who was 18 years old when he traveled on a Greyhound bus from Nashville, TN to Jackson, MS on June 16, 1961.

09/02/2026

Don't forget to register for this free event and come see us at the block party on Saturday!

09/01/2026

Happy Birthday to the youngest , Hezekiah Watkins, who was just 13 years old when he was arrested at the Greyhound bus station in Jackson, MS on July 7, 1961.

08/31/2026

in 1966, Governor George Wallace and the Alabama Senate passed a law banning the desegregation of public schools in the state. This was in direct violation of the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education ruling that declared segregation of public schools unconstitutional. Despite the threat of losing federal funding for schools, the bill passed almost unanimously. This law would be a deterrent for desegregation of public schools until the late 1960s, and contributed to the slow pace of school desegregation in Alabama that continues even today.

The image seen here shows Governor Wallace on Inauguration Day, Jan 14, 1963. His speech that day would feature the infamous words, “segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever”.

08/31/2026

It’s time for another . Today we are spotlighting “Wholy Holy” by Al Cleveland, Renaldo Benson, and Marvin Gaye. As was the case with many of the songs that shaped the Movement, “Wholy Holy” is a gospel song. Originally released in 1971 on Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” album, the lyrics talk of using Biblical principles to join together in love, suggesting that a group bound together can overcome hate and uplift one another. The song was not released as a single, so did not chart for Gaye, but Aretha Franklin’s 1972 rendition on her gospel album “Amazing Grace” charted at #49. Gaye’s rendition is slow and smooth, giving easy listening vibes, while Franklin takes us to church with her rendition featuring a full choir. Franklin’s album was awarded the Grammy for Best Soul/Gospel album in 1973 and is the best selling live gospel album of all time. You can listen to both versions and decide for yourself which one you like more.

Marvin Gaye: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sds2Y88YGBE

Aretha Franklin with James Cleveland and the Southern California Community Choir: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTpyG3A3Dzk

08/29/2026

in 1957, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1957 into law. This was the first civil rights law passed since Reconstruction. It established a new section of the Justice Department that would address cases of voter discrimination against African Americans. While this act was far from all-encompassing, it was an important step towards the protection of civil rights at the federal level.

The image shown here depicts President Eisenhower signing the Civil Rights Act of 1957 into law in his office in New Port, Rhode Island on September 9, 1957.