Thomas Armstrong, a native of Silver Creek, Mississippi, and the first current resident of the state to join the Freedom Rides in 1961, shares his story. Shortly after his decision to publicly confront segregation, he was forced to leave home in fear of his life. Friends and family members didn’t hear from him for decades, and thought he’d disappeared, never to return. Now, he is breaking his silence about his involvement in the early days of the struggle for racial integration in Mississippi, hoping to inspire younger generations to realize the personal power of civic engagement. “We were ordinary people, both black and white in the South, who made it happen,” he said, “not unlike the high school, college and university students of today.”
This program will take place online on Zoom. After registering, you will receive a link to the Zoom webinar at least one hour in advance of the program. If the event is full, or if you prefer, you can watch the event live streamed on SchaumburgLibrary.tv.
TAGS: | Education & Learning |
The Schaumburg Township District Library serves in excess of 134,000 residents in portions of the municipalities Elk Grove Village, Hanover Park, Hoffman Estates, Schaumburg and Streamwood. With over 1 million visitors each year, the library circulates over 2,000,000 items annually and is the second largest public library in the state of Illinois.