The Voices of Civil Rights Bus Tour is an important part of the
Voices of Civil Rights project, a year-long celebration of civil rights in America led by AARP, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and the Library of Congress. The primary purpose of the project, which is being conducted in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, is to collect and build the world's largest archive of first-hand accounts of the civil rights movement in America. This will include personal accounts of marches, sit-ins and boycotts, as well as other observations and experiences. It will be a valuable resource to educate future generations and will serve to rededicate the nation to the promise of the movement, equal opportunity for all.
The main purpose of the bus tour is to raise awareness of the Voices of Civil Rights project and to let individuals know about the several ways they can share their own stories. (Throughout 2004, those with a personal story to share - preferably in 500 words or less - can mail it to Voices, 601 E St., NW, Washington D.C. 20049 or submit it online at
www.voicesofcivilrights.org.) AARP and LCCR are strongly encouraging the submission of personal stories from ordinary citizens who participated in the extraordinary events of this historic period.
The Voices of Civil Rights Bus Tour will follow the original Freedom Ride of 1961, from Washington, DC to Jackson MS. Because of violence, the original Freedom Riders were not able to reach their final destination-New Orleans. To symbolize how far we have come, the bus will also stop in New Orleans. It will then visit a number of other cities throughout the country to collect stories of America's struggle for justice and equality. The letters we collect on the tour will be permanently housed at the Library of Congress. The tour will make four stops in North Carolina: 1.
1. Raleigh at midday on Thursday, August 5; 12 noon - 2:00 pm,
Civic Center Plaza (S. end of Fayetteville Street. mall), Raleigh
2. Durham in the evening on Thursday, August 5; 6:00 - 8:00 pm,
Hayti Heritage Center, 804 Old Fayetteville Street, Durham
3. Greensboro on Friday, August 6; Friday, August 6: 6-00 - 8:00 pm. Shiloh Baptist Church, 1210 South Eugene Street, Greensboro
4. Charlotte on Saturday, August, 7. Saturday, August 7: 4:00 - 6:00 pm, Afro-American Cultural Center, 401 N. Myers Street, Charlotte
At each stop, a large (20' X 20') display related to the Voices project will be set up outside, adjacent to the parked bus. There will be live music, free barbecue dinners, spoken remarks introducing the project, dramatic readings from stories already collected and opportunities for individuals to share their own remembrances on the spot, either online at computer terminals attached to the display or through tape-recorded interviews with AARP volunteers, who will then transcribe the stories and submit them to Washington in written form. We will have heavily advertised the event in advance on the radio.
Capital City Tours LLC - 3901-109 Capital Blvd #321 Raleigh NC 27604 USA
919-369-6689 Bus - 775-383-8019 Fax 150*27*14017 Nextel
www.capitalcitytours.net
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