2011 Student Freedom Ride

From May 6 - 16, forty college students joined original Freedom Riders in retracing the 1961 Rides. Facing History and Ourselves is proud that one of our alumni, Jayanni Webster, is among the students who traveled on the 2011 Student Freedom Ride. 

Watch her inspirational video below, where she asked her fellow student riders about their passions.

Watch the full episode. See more American Experience.Media

• Follow the student ride through American Experience's blog, Facebook, and twitter posts with live updates from the students as they travel: a great way to get your students involved in the story.
   
• Read Jayanni's blogs throughout the student ride.
   
• Watch videos of student riders explain why they felt compelled to "get on the bus" honoring the Freedom Rides.
   
• Read a feature on Jayanni in Chicago Sun-Times (April 26)
   
• Read a feature on Jayanni in The Knoxville News (April 21)

Last fall, Jayanni was a guest speaker at our benefit dinner in Memphis. Now a student at the University of Tennessee, she has already travelled all the way to Uganda, where she lived for five months working with children displaced by war and serves as President of the UT at Knoxville's chapter of Amnesty International.

In Memphis, Jayanni told the gathered crowd about the connection between her high school encounter with Facing History and Ourselves and its work on the Holocaust and combating bigotry:

"A seed of consciousness was planted. That seed grew into a root of understanding and acceptance, then into a plant of resistance to systemic oppression, and from there into a brawny tree that is sprouting new limbs of activism every day. Facing History taught me to harness the power of education and use it for social change. But as I told you, this story is not about me, but it is about us—as a global community and how Facing History has acted as a means to bridge our communities together, impacting lives on a domestic and international level."

We’re proud to be a part of Jayanni’s story, and look forward to sharing her adventure on the Student Freedom Ride.

In the video below, Jayanni talks about how a high school Facing History course helped her nurture the insights, skills, and inspiration she uses as a young leader today.