MEDIA ADVISORY
Contact: Dorothy Walker, Site Director, Freedom Rides Museum
dorothy.walker@ahc.alabama.gov, 334-230-2676
February 8, 2022
Freedom Rides Museum presents “Remembering
Good Trouble” program in honor of Congressman John Lewis/President’s Day
(Montgomery,
AL) – The Freedom Rides Museum, a historic property of the Alabama Historical
Commission will present a virtual program in honor of the late Congressman John
Lewis on February 21st at 1 pm. To join the event, visit the Freedom
Rides Museum Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TheFreedomRidesMuseum.
This year, Congressman Lewis’ birthday falls on President’s Day
and the Freedom Rides Museum is presenting a program to explore the legacy of
Congressman Lewis as one of the leaders of the Freedom Rides. A turning point
in the Kennedy administration, the Freedom Riders’ courageous, peaceful
protests compelled President John F. Kennedy and his brother U.S. Attorney
General Robert Kennedy to get actively involved in the Civil Rights Movement.
The featured speaker is Pulitzer Prize winning historian and author
Dr. Taylor Branch. Dr. Branch is an American author and public speaker best
known for his landmark trilogy on the civil rights era, America in the King
Years. He has returned to civil rights history in his latest book, The
King Years: Historic Moments in the Civil Rights Movement (2013).
About the Freedom Rides Museum
Working with concerned citizens, The
Alabama Historical Commission saved the Greyhound Bus Station from demolition
in the mid-1990s. The Museum is located at 210 S. Court Street, at the
intersection of S. Court St. and Adams Avenue in downtown Montgomery. An
award-winning exhibit on the building's exterior traces the Freedom Riders'
history. It uses words and images of the Freedom Riders, those who supported
them, and those who opposed them. Interior exhibits highlight additional
information on the Freedom Riders and the way in which buildings were designed
for racial segregation. Today, the Alabama Historical Commission operates this
significant site.
About the Alabama Historical Commission
Located in historic downtown Montgomery at 468 S. Perry
Street, the Alabama Historical Commission is the state historic preservation
agency for Alabama. The agency was created by an act of the state legislature
in 1966 with a mission to protect, preserve and interpret Alabama’s
historic places. AHC works to accomplish its mission through two fields of
endeavor: Preservation and promotion of state-owned historic sites as public
attractions; and statewide programs to assist people, groups, towns, and cities
with local preservation activities. For a complete list of programs and
properties owned and operated by the AHC, hours of operation, and admission
fees please visit ahc.alabama.gov