Civil rights bus tour

Fifty-five people from many different walks of life will encounter living history on the fifth annual civil rights bus tour June 10-18. 

The group will spend eight days traveling through different states visiting places and people who impacted the civil rights movement.

“It’s really a life-changing experience,” said Todd Allen, assistant communication professor. “People who go are amazed at how much they did not know about the civil rights movement.”

The Reverend Robert Gretz, a friend of Dr. Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks, will co-host the tour with Allen.

One stop on the tour will include a visit with John Lewis, a congressman from Georgia, who was the chairman of the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) during the civil rights era. The organization organized sit-ins and other student protests.

“There’s something that is really powerful about being in these places and with the people who made this history happen,” said Allen. “You can read a book or watch a film, but it’s not the same as being there.”