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poverty are statistically less likely to go to college. Adults
and students at Roosevelt are not OK with that. They are
rallying around the recognition that education is a civil
right. And starting in January, they’ll show what they mean
in words, service and deeds.”
The “Freedom Riders, Fighters & Writers Exhibit” was
designed to accomplish the following goals: to inform and
inspire local citizens about the role the Freedom Rides
played in the Civil Rights Movement; to honor Portland’s
local Freedom Riders and Fighters; to engage local audi-
ences in exploring ways to take a stand for social justice; to
support local students’ travels to historic black colleges and
civil rights sites; and to provide an opportunity for
Roosevelt students to advance and highlight their writing
and presentation skills.
The students, under the direction of Roosevelt’s Writing
and Publishing Center facilitator, Kate McPherson, spent
the summer and fall of 2011 conducting oral history inter-
views with two Portland-area Freedom Riders, as well as
other local men and women engaged in social justice work.
They also interviewed staff in Mayor Sam Adams’ office,
The Oregonian and Powells Books to learn about public
service, journalism and career choices. Material gathered
through these interviews provided inspiration for the cre-
ation of poems, narratives and artwork for the exhibit as
well as to improve their writing and research skills.
First person contacts with individuals involved in social
justice work provided powerful experiences for understand-
ing historical events and community problems. Roosevelt
student Dorian Erich says, “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.”
Student Hana Kent adds, “You can be a freedom fighter
by just speaking up and raising awareness and issues in our
community…This class has taught me so much. I not only
know how to be a freedom fighter, but it’s made me a bet-
ter writer too.”
For the University of Portland students, the project pro-
vided a valuable opportunity for practical experience out-
side the classroom that will help them become better teach-
ers in the future. One UP student remarked that the first per-
son contacts opened her eyes to the reality of some of the
students’ difficult lives. Seeing the students come to realize
how much they are capable of doing also provided many
rewards.
In March 2012 Roosevelt students plan to tour historic
black colleges and Civil Rights Movement sites throughout
the South. The complete schedule of exhibit locations, dates
and times plus a downloadable booklet made by the stu-
dents may be found at www.pps.k12.or.us/schools/roo-
sevelt/401.htm. Donations to help defray expenses for the
students’ tour can also be gratefully accepted at the website.
January 11, 2012 The Portland and Seattle Skanner Martin Luther King Edition Page 19