Dr. Richard Harris House

06/03/2026

On Saturday, May 30th, we were honored to host the New St. Stephen's Youth Group and chaperones from Albany, GA, who gained a deeper understanding of the Harris House's rich history through a guided tour of the historic Centennial Hill neighborhood led by Valerie Smedley of Tours of Montgomery.

05/25/2026

05/12/2026

Yesterday, the We Shall Someday Project commemorated the 65th anniversary of the historic Freedom Rides, hosted at the Freedom Rides Museum in downtown Montgomery, Alabama. The evening was filled with songs and speeches from some of the original Freedom Riders, Dr. Valda Harris Montgomery, president of Friends of Freedom Riders; Jacob Caffey, great-grandson of Richard and Vera Harris; Mayor Steven Reed; District 3 Council member Marche Johnson; and many others.

The Greyhound Bus station stands as a reminder of the brutal attack on May 20, 1961, when these young students endured a mob of angry white individuals who used various makeshift weapons to beat them while testing a law that segregated interstate travel and terminals for black travelers.

The Harris House also stands as a staple of safety for those same students, who sought protection on May 21, 1961, from the same mob that attacked them at the bus station and at Reverend Abernathy First Baptist Church. These students received medical care, hot meals, including spaghetti, a place to study, and strategic planning with leaders for the next leg to Jackson, Mississippi.

We honor the Freedom Riders for their unwavering commitment, fight, and resilience.

Photos courtesy of Jill Friedman

05/12/2026

On May 7th, we welcomed friends of Steve Cox from Civil Rights Tours, who gained a deeper understanding of the house's profound history and the pivotal role the Centennial Hill neighborhood plays in shaping our community's future.

05/12/2026

On May 1st, we were honored to welcome faculty from Collegiate School in New York and Julianna Finney's family from California, empowering them with insights into the house's rich history and the neighborhood's pivotal role in shaping the civil rights movement.

04/22/2026

On April 17th, a dynamic group of students and chaperones from The San Francisco School in San Francisco, California, embarked on a tour, delving into the pivotal role the house played in the civil rights movement and inspiring a new generation of leaders, as the students presented Dr. Valda Harris Montgomery with a powerful charcoal drawing of the Freedom Riders.

04/07/2026

Today, on April 7th, an exciting group of students and chaperones from Kimberton Waldorf School in Phoenixville, PA, learned about the story of the Harris House and the historic Centennial Hill neighborhood, discovering the importance of the community and the resilience that shaped the civil rights movement.

03/29/2026

On Friday, March 27th, a vibrant group of students and chaperones from Harvard-Westlake High School in Los Angeles, CA, embarked on a journey of discovery, delving into the rich history of the civil rights movement within the house and Centennial Hill neighborhood, and re-created a pivotal moment when activists marched to Judge Frank M. Johnson Jr.'s office to secure authorization for the landmark 1965 Selma to Montgomery March, a testament to the power of collective action in shaping a more just society.