"Student Freedom Ride" Sets 2011 Dates

ATLANTA - The Georgia Humanities Council, in partnership with the PBS series American Experience, joins organizations in Albany, Atlanta, and Savannah to screen Freedom Riders, a new documentary by award-winning filmmaker Stanley Nelson (Wounded Knee, The Murder of Emmett Till). The film will premiere nationally on PBS on May 16, 2011 in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the original Rides. The acclaimed film tells the inspirational and powerful story of the 1961 Freedom Rides and the more than 400 black and white men and women who, using non-violent tactics, risked their lives to challenge segregated facilities in the South in 1961.

In conjunction with the broadcast, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE will also host the 2011 Student Freedom Ride, in which 40 college students from around the country will retrace the historic rides, including stops in Augusta and Atlanta.

Screenings and discussions feature special guest scholars and authors, along with some of the original Freedom Riders. These programs will provide Georgians the opportunity to learn more about this important period in our country’s history and to engage in conversations about race, equality of opportunity, civility, and civic engagement.

Outreach events include:

ALBANY

Freedom Riders Screening - Albany State University (November 17, 2010)

"Riding to Freedom: The December 1961 Albany Freedom Ride" Presentation and Discussion- Thronateeska Heritage Center (November 18, 2010)

ATLANTA

Freedom Riders Student Sneak Peek Screening and Discussion– Emory University (November 11, 2010)

Freedom Riders Full Film Screening and Atlanta Leadership Forum- Morehouse College (May 2011)

AMERICAN EXPERIENCE’S 2011 Student Freedom Ride arrives in Atlanta

KENNESAW

Freedom Riders North Georgia Sneak Peek Screening and Discussion- Kennesaw State University (April 2011)

SAVANNAH

Program in formation.

The Georgia Humanities Council is a statewide nonprofit organization working to ensure that humanities and culture remain an integral part of the lives of all Georgians. The Council serves the state of Georgia through its grant program and projects, and increases awareness about the history, stories, and ideas that inform our lives, so that we can make better decisions for the future.

AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, television's most-watched history series, has been hailed as Ã¢â‚¬â€¢peerlessÃ¢â‚¬â€“ (Wall Street Journal), Ã¢â‚¬â€¢the most consistently enriching program on televisionÃ¢â‚¬â€“ (Chicago Tribune), and Ã¢â‚¬â€¢a beacon of intelligence and purposeÃ¢â‚¬â€“ (Houston Chronicle). On air and online, the series brings to life the incredible characters and epic stories that have shaped America's past and present. Acclaimed by viewers and critics alike, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE documentaries have been honored with every major broadcast award, including twenty-four Emmy Awards, four duPont-Columbia Awards, and fourteen George Foster Peabody Awards, one most recently for Two Days in October.

Contacts: