Ahead of the opening for its new location, the Santa Clarita Valley Senior Center will continue its ongoing Scholar Series with a presentation about the Freedom Riders on March 20.
The series has been presented by College of the Canyons Professor Lissa Brassfield, who discussed with The Signal in November that the topic of the Freedom Riders was something she was planning.
Composed of black and white activists, the Freedom Riders confronted segregation laws on interstate buses. One such Freedom Ride bus outside of Anniston, Alabama, was firebombed by white supremacists, according to the National Park Service. What began as 13 activists grew to over 400, putting pressure on the federal government to install regulations that banned segregation on buses across the country.
“We still have a long way to go, even today,” said Robin Clough, director of volunteers and recreation at the Senior Center. “So that’s why it’s important to have this and keep talking about it.”
Clough said the series is set to continue with the opening of the new Senior Center in April.
“We want to have at least one more before the opening of the new Senior Center,” she said. “So far, we don’t have a date (for the next presentation) set. This is one of the most popular offerings we have, especially with lifelong learning.”
The presentation is scheduled to take place 10-11 a.m. in rooms A1 and A2 on Wednesday, March 20. The SCV Senior Center is located at 22900 Market St. For more information about the new Senior Center and its workshops, go to newseniorcenter.com.
