New BCRTA bus wrap tells the story of Western College and Freedom Summer
Event to commemorate the project is Nov. 11 at Shriver Center
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Published
An event to dedicate the BCRTA bus wrap featuring Freedom Summer and the Western College for Women is Nov. 11 at Shriver Center.
New BCRTA bus wrap tells the story of Western College and Freedom Summer
•
Published
Freedom Summer’s story continues to be told.
The latest project recounting the civil rights legacy of the Freedom Summer of ’64 can be seen making its rounds across Butler County. A new Butler County Regional Transit Authority (BCTRA) bus wrap highlights the history of Freedom Summer and commemorates the important role played by the Western College for Women in the quest for voting rights.
Members of the Miami University community can celebrate the Freedom Summer bus wrap during an event Nov. 11 from 1-1:30 p.m. in Shriver Center’s Heritage Room. Jerome Conley, dean of University Libraries; Matthew Dutkevicz, BCRTA executive director; John Rizzo, director of Creative Strategy and Brand Experience for University Communications and Marketing; and Miami senior Edward Johnson will speak during the program.
Guests can also board the bus and view interior panels detailing the history of the Freedom Summer trainings. For two weeks in June 1964, 800 participants came to the Western College campus, which is now a part of Miami, and trained to register Black voters in the South.
“I’m hoping the entire university community can come together, celebrate, see how the bus connects to them, and learn more about it,” said Jacqueline Johnson, interim department head for the Walter Havighurst Special Collections and University Archives. “This really focuses on Ohio history. It’s important to use any mode of communication possible to educate people about what happened at Western College and how important it was to the nation.”
Miami’s Freedom Summer memorial on Western campus was dedicated in 2000 to honor the memories of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner, three civil rights workers who were murdered in Mississippi while registering Black voters. In 2018, the university established the Freedom Summer of ’64 Award, given to inaugural recipient U.S. Rep. John Lewis.
“It really helps us not forget our history,” Johnson said. “The bus goes all around Butler County. People who are driving by, walking by, biking by, or looking out a window will see the bus. That is the perfect power tool. People will see the bus and say, ‘What is Freedom Summer?’ They can use it as a catalyst to learn more.”
Johnson worked closely with Debbie Baker Spaeth, director of special projects in the Office of Alumni Relations; Shawn Cowan of BCRTA; and with University Communications and Marketing to provide the bus design. The bus made its debut in June as part of the Hamilton Juneteenth celebration.
The bus features an image of college students preparing to travel to Mississippi to register voters, volunteer at community centers, and teach in Freedom Schools.
“That is the perfect image,” Johnson said. “This is history, Butler County history, and we should make sure we are continuing to keep Freedom Summer in the forefront, especially because it involved so many college students across the country.”
The latest project recounting the civil rights legacy of the Freedom Summer of ’64 can be seen making its rounds across Butler County. A new Butler County Regional Transit Authority (BCTRA) bus wrap highlights the history of Freedom Summer and commemorates the important role played by the Western College for Women in the quest for voting rights.
Members of the Miami University community can celebrate the Freedom Summer bus wrap during an event Nov. 11 from 1-1:30 p.m. in Shriver Center’s Heritage Room. Jerome Conley, dean of University Libraries; Matthew Dutkevicz, BCRTA executive director; John Rizzo, director of Creative Strategy and Brand Experience for University Communications and Marketing; and Miami senior Edward Johnson will speak during the program.
Guests can also board the bus and view interior panels detailing the history of the Freedom Summer trainings. For two weeks in June 1964, 800 participants came to the Western College campus, which is now a part of Miami, and trained to register Black voters in the South.
“I’m hoping the entire university community can come together, celebrate, see how the bus connects to them, and learn more about it,” said Jacqueline Johnson, interim department head for the Walter Havighurst Special Collections and University Archives. “This really focuses on Ohio history. It’s important to use any mode of communication possible to educate people about what happened at Western College and how important it was to the nation.”
Miami’s Freedom Summer memorial on Western campus was dedicated in 2000 to honor the memories of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner, three civil rights workers who were murdered in Mississippi while registering Black voters. In 2018, the university established the Freedom Summer of ’64 Award, given to inaugural recipient U.S. Rep. John Lewis.
“It really helps us not forget our history,” Johnson said. “The bus goes all around Butler County. People who are driving by, walking by, biking by, or looking out a window will see the bus. That is the perfect power tool. People will see the bus and say, ‘What is Freedom Summer?’ They can use it as a catalyst to learn more.”
Johnson worked closely with Debbie Baker Spaeth, director of special projects in the Office of Alumni Relations; Shawn Cowan of BCRTA; and with University Communications and Marketing to provide the bus design. The bus made its debut in June as part of the Hamilton Juneteenth celebration.
The bus features an image of college students preparing to travel to Mississippi to register voters, volunteer at community centers, and teach in Freedom Schools.
“That is the perfect image,” Johnson said. “This is history, Butler County history, and we should make sure we are continuing to keep Freedom Summer in the forefront, especially because it involved so many college students across the country.”
Established in 1809, Miami University is located in Oxford, Ohio, with regional campuses in Hamilton and Middletown, a learning center in West Chester, and a European study center in Luxembourg.
