Civil Rights on the Move in Rochester by Diane Sheffield
Thu, Jun 12, 2008 The Civil Rights Movement has been a long struggle since the early phase of 1896-1954. Those of us who are old enough, vividly remember the African American Civil Rights era of 1955-1968. During this movement era, key events that occurred and made history were: Brown v. Board of Education (1954), Desegregating Little Rock (1957), Sit-ins (1960) Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-1956), Freedom Rides (1961), March on Washington (1963), Voting Rights Act (1965), Assassination of Martin L. King, and the Poor People’s March (1968). These are just a few. Each of these events had set backs and successes.
This story is about a 1957 GM diesel-engine transit bus in Rochester, New York. It was purchased and restored as a Museum of History on Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Local Civil Rights Attorney and City School Board Member Van H. White, is the force behind this “Civil Rights Museum on Wheels.” The bus is the same make and model that Mrs. Rosa Parks made history on, when she refused to give up her seat.
The purpose behind the bus begins with Van White opening the Center for the Study of Civil and Human Rights Laws in 2005. The center is located at 18 Grove Place. There is an extensive, diverse powerful collection of artifacts and documents on Fredrick Douglass, the Underground Railroad, Susan B. Anthony, Plantations and Slavery, Exhibits on the Voting Rights Act of 1968, and Martin Luther King to new a few. The Center will allow visitors to “step back in time” to experience the struggles that men, women, and children endured and how the laws, regulations and court decisions effected those struggles. The origin of the building that houses the Center also has a legacy with Civil rights dating back to the 1800s. Visitors can tour the center by appointment Monday thru Friday. There are facilities for center meetings and conferences and research can be done at the center.
A strong Civil Rights Advocate, Van White feels that people of all ages, cultures and backgrounds should learn the importance of Civil Rights. White stated “the purpose behind the bus is to allow visitors to visit the Center, without the hassle of leaving their environment.” The mission of the center is taken on the road with the Civil Rights Museum on Wheels, which allows more people to have the opportunity to learn about this historical time period.
This green and golden-yellow bus seats twenty-four passengers and is equipped with State of the Art technology. The computer equipment, two DVD screens, speakers, photographs of civil rights history and more, will allow people to walk in the footprints of history. White stated that “people can be educated, gain understanding, have discussions and experience the events of an important time period.” White also shared that some Students and Staff of City and Suburban Schools as well as Churches have already experienced the Civil Rights Museum on Wheels. Those participants experienced the three part session, “Civil Rights in America,” on the bus. This is a unique way to be educated, to experience and be interactive with an important part of American History.
The plan and goal is for The Civil Rights Museum on Wheels to be experienced by people in New York State and then around the world. It will be at the Annual SANKOFA Festival on August 23, 2008. If you are interested in classes and video presentations on the bus or other information about the Center for the Study of Civil and Human Rights Laws, contact Center Staff at 585-271-6780.
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