Rep. Johnson presents Black History Month program in 2 DeKalb schools

Congressman brings original Freedom Riders to schools in honor of Black History Month

LITHONIA, GA – On Monday, March 9, Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04) held two, one-hour programs in recognition of Black History Month featuring two original Freedom Riders – Mr. Hank Thomas and Mr. Charles Person.

The original program had to be rescheduled due to inclement weather on Feb. 17. Johnson brought the Freedom Riders to Martin Luther King Jr. High School and Arabia Mountain High School. The program coincides with Rep. Johnson’s bipartisan resolution calling on Congress to award the Freedom Riders the Congressional Gold Medal. More than 135 members of Congress from both sides of the aisle joined Johnson to cosponsor his bill, H.R. 671.

Freedom Riders Thomas and Person told students of their harrowing stories during the Freedom Rides, and emphasized to the kids that education is the key to their futures.

“You can be anything you want to,” said Thomas, who owns several McDonalds restaurants and Marriott hotels. “Dream big and you can become a doctor, lawyer, university president or engineer.”

Thomas and Person took questions from students following the presentations and were duly impressed with students at MLK and Arabia Mountain – most especially with Arabia’s graduation rate of 98 percent.

The Freedom Rides, which lasted from May to November 1961, included more than 400 black and white Americans who risked their lives to challenge Jim Crow laws – particularly public transportation – in the South. Despite enduring vicious attacks and imprisonment for simply traveling together on buses and trains through the Deep South, the Freedom Riders challenged bitter racism and mob violence with nonviolent activism.

“The Freedom Riders were heroes who rode buses and trains in the South to break the back of segregation,” said Johnson. “The riders – including my constituent Mr. Hank Thomas, my friend and colleague Congressman John Lewis and my new found friend Mr. Charles Person – endured insults and beatings and risked their lives more than 50 years ago because they believed in a different future for their children and their grandchildren. I was pleased to be able to bring two of these heroes into our schools so young people can understand their history – where we’ve been and where we’re going.”