Voices of Civil Rights Bus Tour Comes to Detroit Sept. 30
By: Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2004-09-22 10:40:38
Voices of Civil Rights Bus Tour Comes to Detroit Sept. 30
The struggle for civil rights past and present will be honored when the Voices of Civil Rights national bus tour arrives in Detroit on Sept. 30, at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.
The bus will be at the museum, in Detroit's Cultural Center at 315 E. Warren Avenue, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visitors will be able to contribute their memories of the civil rights movement and attend a program in the museum theater beginning at 11 a.m.
The tour includes an interactive "Digital Front Porch" reminiscent of the community gathering place of days gone by. Award-winning journalists, photographers and AARP volunteers will be on the bus to help collect visitor stories on audio, video or online. The History Channel is also on the tour to record the events for a one-hour documentary, scheduled to air in February 2005.
"The Voices of Civil Rights bus tour visit helps us to recall and honor the national struggle for civil rights, and contribute our own recollections of the struggle in Detroit and Michigan," said AARP Michigan President Dr. George Rowan. "By joining us on Sept. 30 to contribute their memories, visitors can assure that the history of our society's fight for justice reaches across generations to come."
AARP, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR), and the Library of Congress are hosting the nationwide bus tour to collect firsthand accounts of the Civil Rights Movement.
In Michigan, AARP is working with the Michigan Legislative Black Caucus, the Detroit Branch NAACP and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. The tour is part of the Voices of Civil Rights project, a multifaceted effort to build the world's largest archive of civil rights stories to be housed in the Library of Congress.
The first leg of the tour stopped in many of the cities that were part of the 1961 Freedom Riders route. Passing through more than 35 cities over 70 days, the tour will stop at local commemorative events throughout the nation before rolling into the annual AARP National Event in Las Vegas Oct. 14. The Detroit visit will be the only Michigan stop on the tour.
"The tour honors the Freedom Riders of the 1960s and saves the local accounts to educate and inspire Americans of tomorrow," said AARP President Marie Smith. "This is so relevant for our members, who are of the generation that participated in and witnessed the Civil Rights Movement."
LCCR Executive Director Wade Henderson noted, "The route includes stops that serve to remind us of our history and struggle for equality. Our goal is to collect stories from African Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, women and others."
The program in the museum theater at 11 a.m. is free and open to the public. Speakers will include Dr. Rowan and other civic and community leaders. The program will also feature the Detroit Renaissance High School Singers, and will be moderated by Frankie Darcell, afternoon radio host on WMXD-FM, Mix 92.3.
Attendees will be able to view the museum's exhibit, "Without Sanctuary: Lynching Photography in America," at a discounted rate.
For more information, visit the Voices of Civil Rights Web site, which includes a searchable archive of personal stories, articles on contemporary civil rights issues and project updates.
Links to a bus tour Weblog allows visitors to track the tour through photos, videos and journal entries.
You too can share your story.
- Mail it to: Voices of Civil Rights, AARP, 601 E St. NW, Washington, DC 20049
- Submit it via the Internet
- Contact AARP Michigan via email
- Call toll free at 1-866-227-7448
- Visit the bus in Detroit Sept. 30
preview