Freedom Riders: Documentary and Discussion
Monday, 03 Feb 2014 at 7:00 pm – South Ballroom, Memorial Union
From May until November 1961, more than 400 black and white Americans risked their lives for simply traveling together on buses and trains as they journeyed through the Deep South. Deliberately violating Jim Crow laws, the Freedom Riders met with bitter racism and mob violence along the way, testing their belief in nonviolent activism. Based on Raymond Arsenault's book, Freedom Riders tells the story of six months that changed America forever. Brian Behnken, associate professor of history, will lead a discussion immediately following the film. Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Series.This film is part of the "Created Equal: America's Civil Rights Struggle" series organized by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Bridging Cultures initiative. Launched in 2013 to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, "Created Equal" aims to encourage public conversations about the changing meanings of freedom and equality in U.S. history.
Other events featured in the 2014 Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Series include:
Let Freedom Ring - Carillon Concert
Wednesday, January 15, 12:00 noon, Central Campus
Slavery by Another Name - Documentary Film and Discussion
Wednesday, January 15, 7:00 pm, South Ballroom, Memorial Union
Community Birthday Celebration
Monday, January 20, 6:00 pm, Ames Middle School, 3915 Mortensen Road, Ames
Celebrate with song, story and birthday cake. An Ames tradition!
Keynote Speaker: The History of White People - Nell Irvin Painter
Wednesday, January 29, 8:00 pm, Great Hall, Memorial Union
Nell Irvin Painter is the Edwards Professor of American History, Emerita, at Princeton University and author of The History of White People.
Cosponsored By:
- History
- MLK Holiday Planning Committee
- NEH Created Equal Grant
- Committee on Lectures (funded by Student Government)
Stay for the entire event, including the brief question-and-answer session that follows the formal presentation. Most events run 75 minutes.
Sign-ins are after the event concludes. For lectures in the Memorial Union, go to the information desk in the Main Lounge. In other academic buildings, look for signage outside the auditorium.
Lecture Etiquette
- Stay for the entire lecture and the brief audience Q&A. If a student needs to leave early, he or she should sit near the back and exit discreetly.
- Do not bring food or uncovered drinks into the lecture.
- Check with Lectures staff before taking photographs or recording any portion of the event. There are often restrictions. Cell phones, tablets and laptops may be used to take notes or for class assignments.
- Keep questions or comments brief and concise to allow as many as possible.