Moving Forward From the Back of the Bus (Rep. Filner recalls Freedom Train rides on 50th anniversary

[Liberty Belle]

Source: East County Magazine

Congressman Filner, the Freedom Rides, and Three Generations of Civil Rights Activism


“I was 18. We did this thing, and we changed the whole legal structure of America. The sense that change is possible has been with me since."–Congressman Bob Filner



For the 50th anniversary of the Freedom Train rides, Rep Bob Filner (D-San Diego) shares his memories of riding the Freedom Train and enduring two months in jail during the tumultuous Civil Rights movement.


by Ron Logan


May 4, 2011 (San Diego) – Fifty years ago today, seven black and six white activists stepped aboard two buses (one Greyhound and one Trailways) in Washington, D.C. Led by James Farmer, the director of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), the plan was simple – to ride through the Deep South and eventually arrive in New Orleans for a rally. The 13 Riders vowed nonviolence – and changed American history.





Read more: http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/node/6076

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Bob Filner has been fighting for the rights of all Americans for decades. In this remarkably candid exclusive interview, he shares some poignant memories from a turning point in American history.

[Liberty Belle]

1. Watch a PBS documentary on the Freedom Rides that debuts May 16.

Link with details is at the end of the story above.

[BumRushDaShow]

2. K&R

:kick:

[No Elephants]

3. America owes those heroes and martyrs big time.