Freedom Riders & the Struggle for Racial Justice | Florida History Speaker Series
This event has passed
7p
Dec 2
Florida History Speaker Series presents "Freedom Rides and the Struggle for Racial Justice"
a presentation by Ray Arsenault, PhD, Professor Emritus, University of South Florida
Hear the gripping account of the freedom riders – college students who braved beatings, jail, and indeed their lives in the summer of 1961 to desegregate public accommodations in one of the most celebrated episodes of the civil rights movement that jolted the consciousness of America.
About the Speaker:
Ray Arsenault is an historian and academic who taught at the University of South Florida campus in St. Petersburg since 1980 and was the John Hope Franklin Professor of southern history and Program Advisor of the Florida Studies Program before retiring in 2020.
About the series:
The Pinellas Pioneer Settlement Committee presents the Florida History Speaker Series. This program offers fascinating presentations on the cultural history of Florida by individuals who are authorities in their fields. It is cosponsored by the St. Petersburg Parks and Recreation Department.
[Photo features: 11 of the 13 original freedom riders. Photo by: Johnson Publishing Company]