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Retracing 'Freedom Summer' In Mississippi

In the summer of 1964, more than 1,000 civil rights workers came to Mississippi to help register black voters. Buses of young people traveled highways and back roads at their own peril, to do the work of what was dubbed Freedom Summer.

Now, 40 years later, a busload of teachers is riding Mississippi's highways, retracing the steps of the Freedom workers in the hope of bringing that history to life for a new generation of students. NPR's Debbie Elliott rode with them.

The teachers' tour was part of a Mississippi workshop that's a joint project of Jackson State University, Rhodes College in Memphis, and the Fannie Lou Hamer National Institute on Citizenship and Democracy.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

NPR National Correspondent Debbie Elliott can be heard telling stories from her native South. She covers the latest news and politics, and is attuned to the region's rich culture and history.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.