Memories of the Movement

Melanie is a college student studying about the civil rights movement. She is doing a living history project about the civil rights movement, and Melanie needs a person who has lived through the struggle, a living witness to the civil rights movement. Melanie knows just the right person to help her. Melanie's neighbor Tilly Jackson was a leading figure in the civil rights movement.

Tilly is just the person Melanie needs for her project. One day after class Melanie goes to Tilly and asks her if she can help her with a living history project she is doing. Tilly excitedly agrees. The next day Melanie shows up at Tilly's home, and Tilly begins to tell Melanie her story about the civil rights movement and how she got involved.

Tilly begins her story at the beginning from her time growing up in Atlanta to watching her father, brothers, uncles and friends being harassed by the cops and her white neighbors.

Tilly Jackson was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia to loving parents, the youngest of three children. From and early age Tilly understood the struggles that her family went through being black. Tilly watched as her father, brothers, uncles and friends were harassed by the police and her white neighbors, this got Tilly angry and she vow that this will never happen again. This is where Tilly's struggle for equal rights took off.

Melanie absorbs the information Tilly has given her so far and is amazed that Tilly came out strong. Tilly continues her story. Tilly is now in college at Howard University.

Tilly enters Howard University where she majors in political science where her passion for racial justice grows. Tilly joins numerous organizations and stages numerous protests. Tilly is not afraid to voice her outrage about how she is treated and she is not afraid to get cursed, spit, or even beaten.

Tilly stops her story and looks over at Melanie. She sees Melanie absorbing it all. Tilly smiles. Tilly is glad that she can inspire Melanie. Tilly continues her story.

Tilly continues her story after graduating from Howard University. Tilly finishes university with a degree in political science, because of the time she is living in Tilly cannot purse her passion instead she continues the fight for racial justice by joining the NAACP.

While at the NAACP Tilly joins in numerous protest, marches, sit-ins, publishes articles and so much more. Tilly even speaks at the marches describing her experiences watching her family and friends being harassed by the cops and her neighbors, and being cursed, spit, and being beaten while protesting during her college years.

Melanie stops Tilly and asks her "did you ever met any of the civil rights heroes?" Tilly nods. Tilly continues her story.

Tilly continues her story with the freedom riders. Tilly wants to do more than sit-ins and marches. So when the opportunity to join the freedom riders comes up Tilly wants to participate. Tilly knows that joining the freedom riders is dangerous. Tilly will do anything in the name of freedom.

Tilly joins other civil rights activists for the first bus ride to the segregated south. Tilly knows this protest is unlike any she has ever been apart of it's daunting, but Tilly is up for this challenge.

On the early morning hours of May 4th 1961 Tilly and the activists leave Washington DC for New Orleans. Tilly sees that many of the activists are nervous, but nothingness determined to be heard.

Melanie looks at Tilly astonished that she participated in the freedom rides. Melanie study the freedom rides and she knows that once they headed south that were beaten, cursed, arrested and almost killed.

Tilly continues her story. Tilly and the freedom riders are already in the southern states, but they haven't been met with stiff resistances, they did get arrested for sitting in a whites only dinning area, but it wasn't until they reached Alabama when things got worse. Alabama is the most segregated state in the country and the state where Tilly and the activists are met with the most brutal resistance.

Tilly and the activists are met with people yelling, screaming and cursing, and telling them to go back home, and we don't want you here. Tilly and the activists don't leave the bus, they were scared. The white mob as Tilly calls them were banging on the doors, breaking windows. They were attempting to get in the bus. Tilly and the activists put their heads down as the windows shattered.

Tilly stops her story. Melanie can see tears rolling down Tilly's face. Melanie grabs Tilly's hand. Tilly smiles. Melanie goes to grab Tilly water. Tilly thanks Melanie for the water. Tilly continues her story.

Tilly watches in horror as the mob continues to bang on the bus, breaking the windows, and know they are in the bus grabbing the activists and throwing them outside where they continue to beat on them.

Tilly tries to get out of her seat, but the lady sitting next to her pulls her back down, they put their heads down, but then Tilly sees someone coming towards her. They grab Tilly and the lady sitting next to her, dragging them outside and start beating on them. No help came.

As Tilly faded in and out of consciousness she heard faint sounds of police cars. The next time Tilly wakes up is in a hospital room. Luckily for Tilly she didn't suffer any severe damage to her body.

The incident in Alabama does not deter Tilly from continuing to fight for racial equality. The freedom rides would continue for the next seven months and Tilly would be on all of them.

The freedom rides are just the beginning of Tilly's journey in the civil rights movement. Tilly would go on to fight for voting rights, the end of segregation, racial discrimination and so much more. Tilly meets so many heroes of the civil rights movement from Rosa Parks to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Tilly evens hears the famous I have a Dream speech.

Tilly ends her story by telling Melanie "the struggle was met with difficult challenges. We rose to fight for what we believed in, and that was freedom for all, not just for one people, but for all people, and now it's up to you, your generation to keep up the fight so we can all live in a better world."

Melanie soaks up Tilly's words and she believes in everything Tilly has done. Melanie promises Tilly that she will keep up the fight.

Tilly has lived her life with no regrets and she continues to instill her wisdom to the next generation of activists.