H OnOring D r . M ArTin L uTHer K ing , J r .
Roosevelt High School Students Embrace Freedom
By Faye Powell
Special To The Skanner News
F
ifty years ago on May 4, 1961, thirteen black and
white, mostly young activists boarded buses in
Washington, D.C., bound for New Orleans. Their mis-
sion was to challenge the segregated seating on interstate
transportation that existed throughout the Deep South. They
were well schooled in the philosophy and techniques of
nonviolent protest and keenly aware that they risked injury,
even loss of life, by their actions.
Before the end of the Freedom Rides that year, 436 indi-
viduals from all across the United States had joined the
movement. The resulting scale of violence against the
activists that occurred, particularly in Alabama, shocked the
nation and ultimately helped break the back of racial segre-
gation not only in public transportation but also in other
areas of public accommodations.
During the month of January, a “Freedom Riders, Fighters
& Writers Exhibit” created by Roosevelt High School stu-
To be a Freedom Fighter does not
mean to be something extremely big
or perfect…Becoming a Freedom
Fighter will change lives for a better
future
dents in partnership with University of Portland students
and in collaboration with the traveling PBS “Freedom
Riders” exhibit, will be installed for public viewing at many
Portland locations, including:
North Portland Library Jan. 9-11;
Portland Community College-Cascade Campus Jan. 12-
13;
Mt. Olivet Baptist Church, 8725 N. Chautauqua
Boulevard Jan. 15;
Highland Christian Center, 7600 NE Glisan Street for
the Martin Luther King Day Celebration Jan. 16;
University of Portland Jan. 17-20; and
Roosevelt High School Jan. 21-24.
A formal gathering and reception honoring the partici-
pants will be held at Roosevelt High School at 7
p.m., Jan. 23.
Page 2 The Portland and Seattle Skanner Martin Luther King Edition January 11, 2012
The PBS exhibit is based on the documentary, “Freedom
Riders,” by filmmaker Stanley Nelson that premiered on
PBS’s “American Experience” May 2011.
Raymond Arsenault’s book, “Freedom Riders: 1961 and
the Struggle for Racial Justice,” on which the film is based,
is considered the definitive history of the Freedom Rides.
Roosevelt Principal Charlene Williams says, “Roosevelt
High School is building a college-going culture, fueled by a
dose of moral indignation. Students of color and those in
See FREE on page 12