One of the things Miami University is known for is our rich history dating back to our founding in 1809. An especially important part of Miami’s history includes the Freedom Summer project that took place in 1964 in conjunction with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and Council of Federated Organizations (COFO). This project was established in order to register African American voters in Mississippi.
These volunteers were trained for Freedom Summer at the Western College for Women (which is now part of Miami University) and then traveled to Mississippi in order to organize Freedom Schools and to register people who had been denied access to the democratic process.
At 12:30pm on Tuesdays and at 3 pm Fridays through October 16 there will be a “Walk With Me: Freedom Summer Interactive History Tours.” This will mark the 45th anniversary of Freedom Summer. The tours will start on Miami’s Western campus and it will draw upon the oral histories, letters and diaries of 1964 Freedom Summer student volunteers who trained to register voters and taught in Freedom Schools in Mississippi.
For more information, please feel free to visit the website at www.muohio.edu/freedomsummer2009.
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