Published October 11, 2024

Civil Rights activists, Freedom Riders in exhibit at McLendon Library

By: Rhonda Dunaway

RAYMOND – The McLendon Library at Hinds Community College’s Raymond Campus is currently displaying “Freedom Riders: Journey for Change” through Nov. 6, 2024.

As part of the exhibit, two speakers will share their experiences and thoughts. Flonzie Brown Wright, an activist and author of a memoir about her experiences as the first black woman to be elected to public office in 1968 as Canton’s Election Commissioner, is speaking at 2 p.m. Oct. 15. Robert Luckett, a history professor at Jackson State University, is speaking at 2 p.m. Oct. 22. Both will be held in McLendon Library.

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History exhibit depicts what students faced as they protested 1961 Jim Crow laws that prevented black people from using public transit and from eating in public restaurants.

The exhibit focuses mainly on 1961 when the buses first set out with white and black students, members of the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), to take action through non-violent protests. They were met with violence and imprisonment.

The students barely made it out of Alabama alive after one of their buses was bombed. When they arrived in Jackson, they were immediately arrested for breaking laws, such as trespassing and unlawful assembly. They were subjected to imprisonment, violence and cruelty.

Many of the exhibit’s images were taken from original film footage of the WLBT News Film Collection. They have been digitally curated and were transferred to still shots and make up a most of the exhibit.

The exhibit is free and open to the public in the McLendon Library. The library hours are Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday’s 7:30 a.m.-noon. For more questions about the Hinds library system visit the Hinds CC website at libguides.hindscc.edu/home

Hinds offers affordable, comprehensive educational opportunities across six campus locations and has nearly 500 academic classes guaranteed to transfer to a university, over 65 career and technical program options and an extensive array of online courses. Applications for general admissions are currently being accepted. Prospective students are encouraged to apply and explore enrollment steps at hindscc.edu/enroll.

Our Mission: Hinds Community College is committed to moving people and communities forward by helping develop their purpose, passion and profession.

Our Vision: Hinds Community College will be a catalyst to create a competitive economy and a compelling culture for Mississippi.

Our Values: Hinds Community College aspires to the following IDEALS: Integrity, Diversity, Excellence, Accountability, Leadership, Stewardship.

To learn more, visit www.hindscc.edu or call 1.800.HindsCC.