Ithaca College

Tariq Meyers, a first-year student and MLK Scholar at Ithaca College, is one of the 40 students selected from nearly 1,000 applications to be a 2011 Freedom Rider.  The original 1961 Freedom Riders, a collection of black and white college students, used public transportation as a means of challenging segregation in the South.  This 10-day journey, beginning May 6, will celebrate the 50th anniversary by retracing the original freedom ride route from Washington, D.C. to New Orleans, LA.  This ride is in conjunction with the premiere of the feature film “Freedom Riders” airing May 16 at 9 p.m. on PBS.  Stanley Nelson, director of the film, will also accompany them on the ride.

Meyers hopes to bring history into the present with this unique experience.  “I want to unite and empower a generation – my generation – to civically engage in a whole new way,” said Meyers in his application video.  He joins a diverse cross-section of students with similar sentiments, representing 33 states and the District of Columbia and a broad range of schools, from state universities and junior colleges to private Ivy League institutions.  Students are expected to use blogs and social media to discuss their experiences from the trip.

The 2011 Student Freedom Ride will engage students in this important era in American history, as they learn about the commitment and courage of the individuals who took part in the original Freedom Rides.  Organizers hope the ride will serve as a means of launching a national conversation about the role of civic engagement in a thriving democracy, explore what issues inspire students to “get on the bus” today, and look at what forms civic engagement is taking on campuses and in communities across the country.

You can find the official “Get on the Bus” video on the PBS website at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/freedomriders/2011/get-on-the-bus-video/

Meet the 2011 Freedom Riders on the PBS website at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/freedomriders/2011/meet-the-riders/#tariq