In the heart of Jacksonville, Florida, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) held its annual conference in late September, bringing together history enthusiasts and advocates for justice. This year, representatives from the Judge Frank Johnson Jr. Institute, the Rosa Parks Museum and the Freedom Rides Museum in Montgomery, AL, orchestrated a compelling roundtable discussion on Black resistance during the Civil Rights Movement.
Donna Biesel, director of operations for the Rosa Parks Museum, Thomas Rains, executive director of the Johnson Institute, Dorothy Walker, director of the Freedom Rides Museum, and McKenzie Walker, educator coordinator for the Rosa Parks Museum, intertwined narratives of the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott, the 1961 Freedom Rides and the connections to Federal Judge Frank Johnson.
The discussion used as its anchor the two types of buses involved with the Civil Rights Movement–city buses and interstate buses. The former set the stage for the Montgomery Bus Boycott, while the latter was the scene of the Freedom Rides.
The panel walked attendees through history, beginning with the advent of Jim Crow laws in the 1880s and Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896, through the Montgomery Bus Boycott and Browder v. Gayle in 1956 and the Freedom Riders and Lewis v. Greyhound in 1961, each event signifying a pivotal moment that resonated with courage and commitment to justice.
Learn more about these events and others by visiting the links above.