Freedom Ride

Freedom Ride invites 21st century students to ponder their transition from high school to college by learning about individuals who experienced the same shift in the racially charged atmosphere of the 1960s. After spending one day on W&L’s campus, the group embarks on a four-day bus trip where they discuss community building while visiting Civil Rights sites in Virginia, Georgia, and North Carolina. Journeys to Robert Russa Moton Museum, The King Center, and The International Civil Rights Museum illustrate both the daunting social realities and the transformative courage that defined Jim Crow America. Bearing witness to these blended truths, participants explore the features that tie an earlier era of freedom fighting to their own tumultuous age.

With a name inspired by a movement that challenged segregated living arrangements, Freedom Ride immerses students in unique episodes from Southern history. Doing this not only clarifies their entry into a peculiar regional legacy but also grants them poignant preparation for their matriculation at Washington and Lee.

Questions or comments, please contact Michael Hill at mhill@wlu.edu or Heidi Bustos at hbustos@wlu.edu.