Contact:
Vernona Dismuke
(405) 530-7521
May 9, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Langston University OKC To Host Watch Party To Commemorate 50th Anniversary Of Freedom Rides
(Oklahoma City) To commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Freedom Rides, Langston University Oklahoma City will host a watch party for the world premiere of FREEDOM RIDERS presented by PBS’ American Experience on May 16th.
FREEDOM RIDERS is the inspirational story of six months in 1961 that changed America forever. From May until November 1961, more than 400 black and white Americans risked their lives—and many endured savage beatings and imprisonment—for simply traveling together on buses and trains as they journeyed through the Deep South. Deliberately violating Jim Crow laws, the Freedom Riders met with bitter racism and mob violence along the way, sorely testing their belief in nonviolent activism.
From award-winning filmmaker Stanley Nelson (Wounded Knee, Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple, The Murder of Emmett Till) FREEDOM RIDERS features testimony from a fascinating cast of central characters: the Riders themselves, state and federal government officials, and journalists who witnessed the Rides firsthand. The two-hour documentary is based on Raymond Arsenault’s book Freedom Riders: 1961 and the Struggle for Racial Justice.
The Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) is encouraging individuals and groups nationwide to host watch parties for this groundbreaking film. Langston University Oklahoma City is proud to host a watch party in conjunction with the CDF effort. The campus event is cosponsored by the Oklahoma Democratic Party and the Privileged Information Network. Because the Freedom Riders contributed to the effort to extend citizenship rights to all Americans, voter registration will be available at the event.
When: Monday, May 16, 7:30-10 PM
Where: Langston University Oklahoma City Campus, 4205 N. Lincoln Blvd.
Contact:
Vernona Dismuke
(405) 530-7521
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