Article written by Phillip Howard
Video by Marika Gray Taylor
The stories of our nation’s Civil Rights heroes run deep through the city of Atlanta and across the South. But we seldom get to hear those stories straight from the heroes themselves.
Atlanta resident, Mr. Charles Person, along with Dr. Bernard Lafayette, are two such changemakers. In 1961, Mr. Person joined a brave group of men and women, both Black and White now known as the Freedom Riders, who left Atlanta traveling by buses to peacefully protest unconstitutional segregation laws in the Deep South. But when the riders arrived in Birmingham and Anniston, Alabama, they were met with violent mobs and hate which halted the Freedom Rides. Despite the horror they experienced, their acts of bravery sparked hundreds of others to continue the fight for equality on interstate travel. Dr. Lafayette, along with other Freedom Riders including the late Congressman John Lewis, volunteered to continue the Freedom Rides to Montgomery, where they were assaulted and beaten by an angry mob. The Freedom Rides marked an extremely significant milestone in the Civil Rights movement.
The Conservation Fund has worked for many years to preserve the story of the Freedom Riders, including helping protect and establish the Freedom Riders National Monument in Anniston. Most recently, we hosted a special event where Mr. Person and Dr. Lafayette, two of the original Freedom Riders, were able to share firsthand accounts of their historic rides. We invite you to watch the video below to hear their moving stories.
You can learn more about the Freedom Riders, and how to support The Conservation Fund’s Civil Rights preservation efforts here: https://www.conservationfund.org/projects/freedom-riders-national-monument
