Freedom Riders Park

01/27/2025

It was a beautiful service, held in MLK's historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. Listen to it here and hear about comments regarding our FRP Freedom Riders Training Academy at 50 minutes and at 1:09. As stated by Charles Person's daughter, Keisha Person, "The Person family, along with the Freedom Riders Training Academy, knows this was not the end of his legacy, it is just the beginning."

We are proud to have Keisha joining our FRP Board of Directors!

Charles Person was the youngest Freedom Rider. He died on Jan. 8 at his home in Fayetteville at the age of 82.

01/13/2025

We are devastated to relay the death of our Cochairman, CHARLES PERSON. An original Freedom Riders, he helped lead our efforts in establishing Freedom Riders National Monument, and more recently lead efforts establishing the Freedom Riders Training Academy. 

There will be more to follow.

RIP Charles Person.

In 1961, he and 12 other civil rights activists were nearly killed for trying to integrate interstate bus terminals across the South.

12/21/2024

Wonderful holiday event celebrating the Freedom Riders Park committee, National Park Service, City of Anniston and Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce partnership. Special welcome to our new Superintendent, Rolando Herts and special tribute to Chris Abbett, retiring Southeast Regional Director for Partnerships, Interpretation and Education.

10/29/2024

It's exciting and fulfilling to see that the efforts of our organization has launched this type of informal education. Anniston students are learning to be proud of their community.

More than 115 Anniston High School students got a history lesson in their own backyard recently when they visited the Freedom Riders National Monument and the former Greyhound bus station to learn about the racist attack on a commercial bus on Mother’s Day 1961. Both sites are now managed by the N...

10/05/2024

Check out who's featured on the front page of the Atlanta Voice!

08/09/2024

We look forward to working with Superintendent Hertz. Congratulations!

ATLANTA – The National Park Service (NPS) today announced the selection of Dr. Rolando Herts as superintendent of Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument and Freedom Riders National Monument in Alabama, effective Sep. 9.

07/19/2024

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR
FORMALLY AUTHORIZES NOMINATION
OF CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT SITES
FOR WORLD HERITAGE and our Greyhound Bus Depot in ANNISTON is one of them. As have others, our FRP group has been engaged with this for ten years. The enormity of the nomination can’t be overestimated. Please read the story!

Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland today announced that she has authorized the National Park Service to prepare a potential nomination for 11 U.S. Civil Rights Movement Sites in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, Virginia and Washington, DC to be added to the UNESCO World Heritage L...

12/22/2023

ALWAYS GREAT TO SEE PROGRESS!

https://www.annistonstar.com/free/changes-coming-to-the-freedom-riders-national-monument/article_131b53c2-a058-11ee-88ce-0346c48bdd1b.html

Anniston's Freedom Riders National Monument has changes coming. The monument is housed in the old Greyhound bus depot at 1031 Gurnee Avenue, from which a bus carrying Freedom Riders departed shortly before being stopped on Alabama 202 by a white mob and burned in May 1961.
The bus depot opened in 1952 and stayed open for 15 years.
Fatimah Purvis, a park ranger based in Birmingham, announced on behalf of the National Park Service on Wednesday morning that the bus depot will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Wednesday, except for the next two Wednesdays due to the holidays.
She listed several other changes, all to make the monument more accessible to students throughout northeast Alabama, tourists who follow the Freedom Riders Trail, and others.
Many of the tourists visit the monument to seek a stamp for their national parks “passport” books.
If tourists pass through Anniston on days other than Wednesdays, they may obtain the stamps by entering the vestibule at the Calhoun County Area Chamber and Visitors Center any time, day or night.
“We encourage students to visit us,” Purvis said. “For school groups of 10 or more, we ask for an advance notice of a week, but nine or less children can drop by on Wednesdays.”
In the bus depot are large exhibits with photographs and information about the history of the Freedom Riders, but changes to the depot itself are also expected. No timeline is available.
The upcoming changes include restoring the depot to its original look. During the 1950s, the facility had segregated restrooms and signage, a lunch counter that served mostly white travelers, display cases of snacks, and other furnishings.
“We are announcing two permanent park ranger positions in the upcoming weeks,” Purvis said. “We will be hiring seasonal park guides during the summer season, and we are looking for local college students.”
Those who are interested in working as a summer guide should visit the depot or call 205-679-0065. They can also email Kathryn Gardiner, who is the acting supervisory ranger based in Birmingham, at [email protected], or supervisor William Karlovetz at [email protected].
The park service is also seeking volunteers to be at the desk of the depot on Wednesdays and help with projects. Volunteers can work flexible hours, work one day a month, or work each Wednesday. To apply, visit the depot and bring a driver license.
At the site of the bus burning, the park service will be installing temporary exhibits and creating a parking space.
“Our staff are partnering with Calhoun County officials to complete these projects,” Purvis said. “There is no exact time (for completion), but soon.”
She also could not release information about the appearance of the temporary exhibits.
Patrick Gamman, the Freedom Riders superintendent, will collaborate with county officials to design and establish these temporary exhibits, according to Purvis.
Anniston’s

Anniston’s Freedom Riders National Monument has changes coming.

11/14/2023

Great honor for the Freedom Rider Park Board to have played a part in this wonderful celebration of Charles Person. He was honored by fire chiefs, family and friends with certificates, helmets, praise and a cake that looked like his book! So many special guests, including Atlanta City Councilman Michael Bonds, singer Ruben Studdard, NPS leadership and many more.

09/15/2023

Special day in Birmingham at the 16th Street Baptist Church commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the bombing and featuring keynote speaker Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. Thanks to all the organizers!

08/28/2023

Thanks to Georgia Calhoun and her son, Victor Grant, two diverse churches from Atlanta, organized a unity tour and visit to explore our efforts on Gurnee Avenue. They learned about the history, the establishment of Freedom Riders National Monument, acquisition of the Anniston Freedom Center, installation of our “talking posts” and also the Freedom Riders Training program for protest education.