Buses Are a Comin': Memoir of a Freedom Rider
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- Create Date：2021-04-30 18:31:11
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Charles Person
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Summary
A firsthand exploration of the cost of boarding the bus of change to move America forward--written by one of the Civil Rights Movement's pioneers。
At 18， Charles Person was the youngest of the original Freedom Riders， key figures in the U。S。 Civil Rights Movement who left Washington， D。C。 by bus in 1961， headed for New Orleans。 This purposeful mix of black and white， male and female activists--including future Congressman John Lewis， Congress of Racial Equality Director James Farmer， Reverend Benjamin Elton Cox， journalist and pacifist James Peck， and CORE field secretary Genevieve Hughes--set out to discover whether America would abide by a Supreme Court decision that ruled segregation unconstitutional in bus depots， waiting areas， restaurants， and restrooms nationwide。
The Freedom Riders found their answer。 No。 Southern states would continue to disregard federal law and use violence to enforce racial segregation。 One bus was burned to a shell; the second， which Charles rode， was set upon by a mob that beat the Riders nearly to death。
Buses Are a Comin' provides a front-row view of the struggle to belong in America， as Charles leads his colleagues off the bus， into the station， into the mob， and into history to help defeat segregation's violent grip on African American lives。 It is also a challenge from a teenager of a previous era to the young people of today: become agents of transformation。 Stand firm。 Create a more just and moral country where students have a voice， youth can make a difference， and everyone belongs。
At 18， Charles Person was the youngest of the original Freedom Riders， key figures in the U。S。 Civil Rights Movement who left Washington， D。C。 by bus in 1961， headed for New Orleans。 This purposeful mix of black and white， male and female activists--including future Congressman John Lewis， Congress of Racial Equality Director James Farmer， Reverend Benjamin Elton Cox， journalist and pacifist James Peck， and CORE field secretary Genevieve Hughes--set out to discover whether America would abide by a Supreme Court decision that ruled segregation unconstitutional in bus depots， waiting areas， restaurants， and restrooms nationwide。
The Freedom Riders found their answer。 No。 Southern states would continue to disregard federal law and use violence to enforce racial segregation。 One bus was burned to a shell; the second， which Charles rode， was set upon by a mob that beat the Riders nearly to death。
Buses Are a Comin' provides a front-row view of the struggle to belong in America， as Charles leads his colleagues off the bus， into the station， into the mob， and into history to help defeat segregation's violent grip on African American lives。 It is also a challenge from a teenager of a previous era to the young people of today: become agents of transformation。 Stand firm。 Create a more just and moral country where students have a voice， youth can make a difference， and everyone belongs。
Reviews
GavStar
，
The story is powerful; I like how it was presented。 Good job writer！ If you have some great stories like this one， you can publish it on Novel Star， just submit your story to hardy@novelstar。top or joye@novelstar。top
Donna Hines
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A stunning memoir that redefines the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950's and 60's as the Freedom Riders took action in challenging the non-enforcement of the Supreme Court rulings to improve racial segregation for African Americans。 Black and white Americans joined forces -risking their lives- challenging Jim Crow laws。 More specifically， those regarding transportation in the South。The court rulings known as Morgan v。 Virginia （1946） and Boynton v。 Virginia （1960） ruled that segregated buses are A stunning memoir that redefines the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950's and 60's as the Freedom Riders took action in challenging the non-enforcement of the Supreme Court rulings to improve racial segregation for African Americans。 Black and white Americans joined forces -risking their lives- challenging Jim Crow laws。 More specifically， those regarding transportation in the South。The court rulings known as Morgan v。 Virginia （1946） and Boynton v。 Virginia （1960） ruled that segregated buses are unconstitutional。 Therefore， these brave men and women took to these buses in order to challenge this status quo and create change。 Imagine doing all this at the ripe age of eighteen？ Just a boy yet facing a man's cruel and heartless world。The timing of this novel couldn't have been better with the 60th Anniversary of this movement but also with so much civil unrest in our country。Why in 2021 have these historical figures of the most important movement in our nation never been honored for their bravery， courage， and tenacity to create change by risking their lives and suffering immensely for others to enjoy the freedoms we all take for granted today？How is it that a man like Rush Limbaugh who instilled nothing but hatred and spewed vitriol can receive the highest Medal of Honor yet only John Lewis received such recognition as a Freedom Rider？We need to give the Freedom Riders what they deserve。 Respect， honor， dignity， and praise。 https://hankjohnson。house。gov/media-c。。。。It's time to recognize the remarkable heroism， bravery， while addressing the importance of all lives in today's history。 https://gordoncstewart。com/2020/07/27。。。Our nation is suffering。 We have much pain。 We have no moral compass。 We're lost but we can never forget those who led the way。 This novel wasn't just written words。 It was raw， real， and a deeply troubling account of details in time。 Sadly， time has not healed all wounds and we've not learned the lessons it's meant to teach us。Let's think about some things: How many African Americans are afraid to simply walk down the street？ How many black males are afraid to look at a white woman for fear she'll accuse him of something？How many blacks are now taking to arms to protect themselves？We need change， we need a revolution， we need to honor and respect one another and I cannot think of a better way then to give the Freedom Riders their recognition that's justly deserved。I'm honored and blessed to have read this memoir。 Mr。 Person didn't just jot notes， he didn't spend his time reflecting， he created a moment in time that non of us will ever forget。Thank you Mr。 Person and all those who stood up to the evil and fought for freedoms with God's grace and strength。May God Bless them all！ 。。。more
Susan
，
Charles Person was the youngest person aboard the Freedom Ride。 I really enjoyed hearing the story of what lead him to be on the bus。 I liked the casual conversational tone of the book and how the theme of buses was used throughout the book！ However， I could have done without the heavy foreshadowing。 I would assume that while most readers might not know the details of that summer， they would at least have a general enough idea that the hints of what to come would be unnecessary。 This isn't a dom Charles Person was the youngest person aboard the Freedom Ride。 I really enjoyed hearing the story of what lead him to be on the bus。 I liked the casual conversational tone of the book and how the theme of buses was used throughout the book！ However， I could have done without the heavy foreshadowing。 I would assume that while most readers might not know the details of that summer， they would at least have a general enough idea that the hints of what to come would be unnecessary。 This isn't a domestic thriller hinting at a twist！ As it was， I could feel myself tense up as the story progressed and the buses entered Alabama。 I can't say this was all due to strong writing， but it was still impactful。 A sad note， this book was written before the passing of John Lewis。 Mr。 Person is one of two， or perhaps the sole member of the Freedom Ride alive today。 His actions and those of his fellow riders make me question how far I am willing to go to support the causes I believe in。 I'm wondering about my bus！Thanks to St。 Martin's Press for a copy of the book。 This review is my own opinion。 。。。more
Kathryn
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This book just dragged;， at least the first 2/3 did。 i can't remember when a book this size just a sliver over 300 pages took me so long to complete。 The last third went quicker。 Most of the action occurred between 66% AND 75%。 I feel it should be rated 2。5 stars as the book was merely ok; I am raising it to 3 stars since one it's a memoir of this man's life， so who am I to judge his life。 Two， there were no spelling or grammatical errors that I noted and I was reading the uncorrected ARC and th This book just dragged;， at least the first 2/3 did。 i can't remember when a book this size just a sliver over 300 pages took me so long to complete。 The last third went quicker。 Most of the action occurred between 66% AND 75%。 I feel it should be rated 2。5 stars as the book was merely ok; I am raising it to 3 stars since one it's a memoir of this man's life， so who am I to judge his life。 Two， there were no spelling or grammatical errors that I noted and I was reading the uncorrected ARC and three this is an important part of our country's history。 。。。more
Monica **can't read fast enough**
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This memoir is a perfect example of the kind of American history that we stand to lose if we aren't challenging and educating ourselves。 Unfortunately， before being offered this book I had no idea who Charles Person was。 The American education system doesn't offer even the most basic of true and inclusive American history so memoirs like this one is vital to filling in the gaps。 This isn't just the life story of Person， but his accounts of many other men and women who sacrificed and persevered a This memoir is a perfect example of the kind of American history that we stand to lose if we aren't challenging and educating ourselves。 Unfortunately， before being offered this book I had no idea who Charles Person was。 The American education system doesn't offer even the most basic of true and inclusive American history so memoirs like this one is vital to filling in the gaps。 This isn't just the life story of Person， but his accounts of many other men and women who sacrificed and persevered as unsung heroes of an era that hasn't been fully celebrated。 One of my favorite lines in this is when Person is reflecting on some of the stops in Georgia and he states "The white South in the fifties and sixties must have liked mobs。 They formed so many of them。" It's pretty ironic that the same type of people who formed violently hateful mobs then are today constantly decrying peaceful protestors as unruly mobs。 If you are looking to add to your knowledge of the Freedom Riders and their experiences I highly recommend picking up a copy of this book。 I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。Where you can find me:•（♥）。•*Monica Is Reading*•。（♥）•Twitter: @monicaisreadingInstagram: @readermonicaGoodreads Group: The Black Bookcase 。。。more
Booksandcoffeepleasemx
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“No one has any control over the color of their skin， but everyone has control over how they treat others。”Compelling， vivid and brutal。I have no words， I read about this before but reading this memoir my emotions were all over the place。 This story is moving， raw and inspiring。 An educational and necessary read。Thank you NetGalley and St。 Martin's Press for this eARC。http://www。instagram。com/booksandcoff。。。 “No one has any control over the color of their skin， but everyone has control over how they treat others。”Compelling， vivid and brutal。I have no words， I read about this before but reading this memoir my emotions were all over the place。 This story is moving， raw and inspiring。 An educational and necessary read。Thank you NetGalley and St。 Martin's Press for this eARC。http://www。instagram。com/booksandcoff。。。 。。。more
Brianna
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Whoa， what a gread story I just read。 I suggest you join NovelStar’s writing competition， you might be their next big star。
Victoria Lanigan
，
A Strong， powerful， heart wrenching and encouraging look at this important time in history， yet so timely today。 。Reading about this time in history was always so hard to imagine and then fast forward to 2020。。This book follows the Freedom Riders from Washington D。C。 to New Orleans。 This group of riders included men， women， black and white people， an 18 year old named Charles Pearson and a future congressman in John Lewis。。This was not a smooth ride。 One of the buses was burned to its core and t A Strong， powerful， heart wrenching and encouraging look at this important time in history， yet so timely today。 。Reading about this time in history was always so hard to imagine and then fast forward to 2020。。This book follows the Freedom Riders from Washington D。C。 to New Orleans。 This group of riders included men， women， black and white people， an 18 year old named Charles Pearson and a future congressman in John Lewis。。This was not a smooth ride。 One of the buses was burned to its core and the other was overwhelmed by a mob where several riders were beaten to death。 This book is a heavy one but this is a heavy subject matter in our Country。 It’s also inspiring that a teenager took such a part in the turbulent time in our country when in 2021 we are in a different kind of turbulence。 Like Charles Pearson， so many youth in our nation are standing up to make a change。 Our Youth are our future。 They have the voice and they can make a change。 This book is powerful and I’m so thankful to @StMartinsPress for a gifted copy。#quarantine#foffimreading#bookclub#bookaddict#bookcommunity#goodreads#bookishbounds#aprilshowers#bookishladiesclub#bookwineandmetime#Thebusesareacomin#Charlespearson#StMartinPress 。。。more
Cindy H。
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Thank you to NetGalley and St。 Martins Press for gifting me with an ARC of The Buses Are A Comin’。 In exchange I offer my unbiased review。This was an extremely thoughtful and timely memoir， written by Charles Person， the youngest member of the original Freedom Riders。 He colorfully recalls his early life growing up poor in Atlanta， then the years leading to his becoming a peaceful social activist， his time on the Freedom Ride and then his years following the end of segregation， but unfortunately Thank you to NetGalley and St。 Martins Press for gifting me with an ARC of The Buses Are A Comin’。 In exchange I offer my unbiased review。This was an extremely thoughtful and timely memoir， written by Charles Person， the youngest member of the original Freedom Riders。 He colorfully recalls his early life growing up poor in Atlanta， then the years leading to his becoming a peaceful social activist， his time on the Freedom Ride and then his years following the end of segregation， but unfortunately not racism。 Mr。 Person has lived an incredibly rich life and his story was fascinating。 His story was simply written but so powerful in its scope。 The message of “Do something”， echoed over and over in his life and I believe old & young， black & white can learn from his bravery and tenacity。 This book should be introduced as part of middle school/ high school curriculum as Mr。 Person has an important message to share with the youth of today。 In recent months we have witnessed far to many violent forms of protest and while it’s easy to understand how frustration and anger can lead to violence， it’s also important to remember there are other ways to be heard。 I appreciated Mr。 Person’s choice of highlighting each of the individuals who participated on the Freedom Ride， and sharing the spotlight with the others who stood up （ or perhaps sat down） to be seen。 I highly recommend this compelling story and front row experience to a historical event。 。。。more
♥ Sandi ❣t
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4。25 stars Thanks to Marketing at St Martins for the option to read this book and NetGalley for the download of this ARC。 Publishes on April 27， 2021。 Sixty years ago， almost to the week， the Freedom Riders started in DC on a trip to New Orleans。 Their goal was to test the new laws that applied to African Americans， in a non-violent unassuming protest below the Mason Dixon Line and deep into the South。 Charles Person， the author， was the youngest of the original Freedom Riders。 He was 18 years o 4。25 stars Thanks to Marketing at St Martins for the option to read this book and NetGalley for the download of this ARC。 Publishes on April 27， 2021。 Sixty years ago， almost to the week， the Freedom Riders started in DC on a trip to New Orleans。 Their goal was to test the new laws that applied to African Americans， in a non-violent unassuming protest below the Mason Dixon Line and deep into the South。 Charles Person， the author， was the youngest of the original Freedom Riders。 He was 18 years old， but was not foreign to civil right protests。 He had organized and attended sit-ins in Atlanta， his home town， at local dinners。 Person and one other man are the only remaining living participants of the original Freedom Riders。 However many more people， both black and white， took up the cause and laid their lives on the line for desegregation。 Laws had passed allowing the Black population to ride in any seat on Interstate travel and also to be admitted to any section of a depot or depot restaurant area。 Blacks were no longer to be segregated。 However the deep south was not so accommodating。 This happens to be a protest that John Lewis， the well know Civil Rights Legislator was also on。 There were both white and black people participating in this protest。 They were doing it in a non violent way， but in a way to see if things were actually changing。 Whites went to the back of the bus， Blacks took a front seat。 Whites ordered dinners through Black Only cubby holes and Blacks sat at White Only counters。 They showed Black and White intermingling。 All went well until they hit Alabama - then all hell broke loose。 This memoir is a very good portrayal of the hard fought path that was taken in 1960's to end segregation。 In many ways this was the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement - the involvement of the Kennedy's - the rise of John Lewis - the battle of those who believed in equality。 Having lived in some of the southern states as a child， I saw a lot of the signs and treatments of the Black population。 Black men stepping off the sidewalk to let my mother and I pass。 Black men lowering their heads and eyes when speaking to my father。 Sign posted designated drinking fountains and restrooms。 I was fairly young， under 10 years of age， so did not understand everything I witnessed then。 I had not grown up in the south， so was not indoctrinated to their beliefs and way of life。 My time spent in the Southeast was luckily short lived， as my father traveled as an iron worker and we always reassimilated to the Midwest。 Even as young as I was I do have memories of that time - a taste and feel of the segregated south。 。。。more
Maria-Anne
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This book should be required reading in High school。 Most white folks in the US have no clue what is was like growing up and living in the South for a black person in the fifties and sixties。 For a young person that might seem like centuries ago but it really wasn’t that long ago。 Some of the people that have lived through that period of segregation are still alive today。 Even when laws were made to enforce desegregation White folks ignored it and most Blacks where too afraid to enforce it。 Than This book should be required reading in High school。 Most white folks in the US have no clue what is was like growing up and living in the South for a black person in the fifties and sixties。 For a young person that might seem like centuries ago but it really wasn’t that long ago。 Some of the people that have lived through that period of segregation are still alive today。 Even when laws were made to enforce desegregation White folks ignored it and most Blacks where too afraid to enforce it。 Thanks to some brave men and woman who risk bodily harm for them and their family that some of these changes have become part of our life。 We no longer see signs defining certain areas for “Whites only” （Stores， Lunch counters， Toilet facilities， seats in busses on and on） but I’m afraid that even now in 2021 we still have a long way to go to be color blind to skin color and race。 Charles Person was one of those people to take a stand and I’m so glad that he was willing to share with us his feelings and experiences from childhood to adult。 Occasionally you might feel that the story gets repeated a bit but the book still deserves a solid five star。 I want to thank Richard Rooker for getting Charles Memoir a reality for us to read。 I think this story will not be forgotten by many that read it。 。。。more
Karen
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Buses Are a Comin’ is an amazing memoir by Charles Person with Richard Rooker。 Charles Person is the youngest of the original Freedom Riders who traveled on a Greyhound bus from Washington in 1961。 Their destination was to be New Orleans， but they did not make it there。 I sure wish that I was still teaching。 I particularly liked the easy， conversational tone of Person’s story and feel the book would be well received by students。 I felt like I was sitting in his living room listening to his story Buses Are a Comin’ is an amazing memoir by Charles Person with Richard Rooker。 Charles Person is the youngest of the original Freedom Riders who traveled on a Greyhound bus from Washington in 1961。 Their destination was to be New Orleans， but they did not make it there。 I sure wish that I was still teaching。 I particularly liked the easy， conversational tone of Person’s story and feel the book would be well received by students。 I felt like I was sitting in his living room listening to his story。 The reader gets to meet Charles as a child。 He tells stories about growing up in his family。。。how hard his Dad and Mom had to work to provide for his family。 I particularly enjoyed how he brought something home from the neighborhood store and how his mom marched them back to the store to confess。 Then when his father， a WWII veteran came home……。。His father worked two jobs and did not have a lot of time to spend with the kids but the time he had was used to teach his children。 The book is filled with stories。 I think they helped the reader really feel connected so that when he actually leaves on that bus， this reader felt like I was on that bus too。 Thank you so much Mr。 Person for sharing your story。 Thank you St。 Martin’s Press， Goodreads， and NetGalley for an ARC of this book。 The opinions in this review are my own。 。。。more
Brenda
，
Charles Person documents his youth， college days and participation as one of the original Freedom Riders and member of the Movement for Change。 "If the bus goes by， get on it，" is a motto I myself have always lived by so I loved that he used this phrase in reference to change and growth opportunities。 Many comparisons are made to current day and historical racisms and injustices suffered by African Americans。 Not surprisingly， in sixty years we haven’t come all that far in the fight for equality Charles Person documents his youth， college days and participation as one of the original Freedom Riders and member of the Movement for Change。 "If the bus goes by， get on it，" is a motto I myself have always lived by so I loved that he used this phrase in reference to change and growth opportunities。 Many comparisons are made to current day and historical racisms and injustices suffered by African Americans。 Not surprisingly， in sixty years we haven’t come all that far in the fight for equality。 The book for me was very long and tediously drawn out。 The author introduces us to many of the individual participants in the change movement。 The writing itself was excellent。 I started out engrossed but had completely lost interest by the halfway point and struggled to finish。 I may have done the book a disservice reading it at a point when I am tired of protests， violence， pilfering， unnecessary rioting， death and destruction。 Although I’m empathetic， I really just didn’t want to hear anymore on the subject either way。Charles Person was a bright and brave individual that deserves to be recognized and thanked for his contributions to the Change Movement in America。 。。。more
Kristin
，
Reading this book evoked so many emotions: sadness， shame， anger， admiration， disgust。 Charles Person recalls his innocent childhood， before he knew that he lived on a street literally used as the textbook example of poverty， before he knew that segregation and racism exist， when he had no reason to doubt what his parents taught him: that he was a loved and worthy of respect。 Then he walks the reader through the steps that cracked and eventually shattered that innocence， culminating in his inabi Reading this book evoked so many emotions: sadness， shame， anger， admiration， disgust。 Charles Person recalls his innocent childhood， before he knew that he lived on a street literally used as the textbook example of poverty， before he knew that segregation and racism exist， when he had no reason to doubt what his parents taught him: that he was a loved and worthy of respect。 Then he walks the reader through the steps that cracked and eventually shattered that innocence， culminating in his inability to attend his college of choice because of his race。 Next， he tells us what he stood up and did about it: how he joined student movements， participated in sit-ins， was jailed and put in solitary confinement - and finally， how he applied to join the first Freedom Ride。 I'm embarrassed to say I'd never heard of the Freedom Rides。 I'd never heard that it was necessary for people to get on buses and test out whether Supreme Court decisions dismantling segregation were being followed， to demonstrate for the nation that they WERE NOT BEING FOLLOWED。 Like Charles， the reader is lulled into a false sense of security as the buses start out; things go fairly uneventfully in Virginia。 But the further south they go， the worse the treatment gets。 At one point， Martin Luther King， Jr。， refuses to join them and advises them to stop their ride。 It was THAT dangerous。 The treatment these brave men and women received in Georgia， and finally， Alabama， is horrific。 If the book had ended with the end of Charles Person's Freedom Ride， I would've thought it an excellent， eye-opening book。 But the authors conclude the book by connecting the original Freedom Rides to the present day， naming names and calling on us to board our own buses and fight the injustices that have become so painfully visible over the last few years。 More than just a timely and relevant read， it is a call to action; let us be brave enough to ride like Charles Person。Thank you to St。 Martin Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book！ 。。。more
Maya B
，
What a great memoir！ It follows the life story of Charles Person， one of the original Freedom Riders who challenged racial segregation in interstate travel in the Deep South during the 1960s。 This will be great for someone who’s looking to learn more about civil rights history。 They’ll learn the basics but they’re also learn about a lot of unsung heroes who history has neglected to remember。 I found the writing engaging and easy to follow。 The memoir is also relatively short but a lot of informa What a great memoir！ It follows the life story of Charles Person， one of the original Freedom Riders who challenged racial segregation in interstate travel in the Deep South during the 1960s。 This will be great for someone who’s looking to learn more about civil rights history。 They’ll learn the basics but they’re also learn about a lot of unsung heroes who history has neglected to remember。 I found the writing engaging and easy to follow。 The memoir is also relatively short but a lot of information is packed in。 I also enjoyed learning more Georgia history as a fellow Georgian myself。 I also appreciate this book as a professional historian。 When training to become a historian you discuss who the target audience books are written for and this book was written for the people。 It left you feeling inspiring and wanting to take action。 Many things have changed in America in the 60 years since the events of this memoir， but many things have not。 The fight against racial injustice continues and this book will be a tool in that fight。 。。。more
Carin
，
Charles Person was one of the original Freedom Riders， and the youngest at 18。 An Atlanta native， he did find it ironic that he traveled to DC to travel back through Atlanta， and on to the deeper South， during this test of an unenforced Supreme Court decision， that declared buses and bus stations should not be segregated。 He had no idea how it would change his life。As a young college student in the 1960s， he'd grown up firmly under the jackboot of Jim Crow。 Naturally， he'd both resented and acce Charles Person was one of the original Freedom Riders， and the youngest at 18。 An Atlanta native， he did find it ironic that he traveled to DC to travel back through Atlanta， and on to the deeper South， during this test of an unenforced Supreme Court decision， that declared buses and bus stations should not be segregated。 He had no idea how it would change his life。As a young college student in the 1960s， he'd grown up firmly under the jackboot of Jim Crow。 Naturally， he'd both resented and accepted it。 But after getting rejected from Georgia Tech solely due to his race， he was fired up。 He and a friend did peaceful lunch counter sit-ins around their campus。 And when they heard about the Freedom Ride project， they both applied， and Charles was accepted。 He got his dad's permission and fibbed to his mom。 The ride started out peaceful。 There was no trouble in Virginia， and very little in North Carolina。 It started just over the border in Rock Hill。 And it did not end in New Orleans as planned， but instead it ended in Alabama with Sheriff Bull Connor and a great deal of bloodshed。It's amazing to get a real inside account of this seminal event of the Civil Rights Movement。 The beginning with his background dragged a bit， but when it gets to the ride itself， it really began to sing。 Mr。 Person unfortunately does have a tendency to use three metaphors when one （or none） would do， and flit off to extemporizing about the meaning of things and the inspiration when more straightforwardness would have served the book better。 But those are minor bumps in an otherwise inspiring and meaningful memoir about a life-changing and world-changing act of bravery by a dozen or so people， who saw America needed to move forward， even if it was painful。 。。。more
B。
，
I won a copy of this one in a Goodreads Giveaway。 This is an important book。 It's brutally honest while at the same time highlighting both how far society has come and how much farther we still have to go。 I won a copy of this one in a Goodreads Giveaway。 This is an important book。 It's brutally honest while at the same time highlighting both how far society has come and how much farther we still have to go。 。。。more
Kathleen Gray
，
This is timely and compelling memoir by the youngest of the Freedom Riders should be more widely read than I suspect it will。 Person has a fascinating story to tell and he's done it， in conjunction with Booker， in a manner than pulls the reader in。 You might know the outlines of what happened in 1961 but this first person account is especially valuable for its insights into others on the Ride， some of whom became towering figures in the civil rights movement and others of whom might be less fami This is timely and compelling memoir by the youngest of the Freedom Riders should be more widely read than I suspect it will。 Person has a fascinating story to tell and he's done it， in conjunction with Booker， in a manner than pulls the reader in。 You might know the outlines of what happened in 1961 but this first person account is especially valuable for its insights into others on the Ride， some of whom became towering figures in the civil rights movement and others of whom might be less familiar。 it's filled with grace， even as Person details the horrible abuse the group suffered。 Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC。 An important and worthy read。 。。。more
Alicia （PrettyBrownEyeReader）
，
“In every era， it takes a bus of change to lead the way to new senses of belonging。 Thankfully， a change bus is always a comin’。”This book really surprised me。 I wasn’t expecting to be so easily pulled into this memoir。 Charles Person was one of the original 13 Freedom Riders during the summer of 1961。 This group sought to challenge resistance to desegregating interstate bus travel in the United States。Mr。 Person starts his memoir giving the reader a glimpse into his upbringing in the bottoms of “In every era， it takes a bus of change to lead the way to new senses of belonging。 Thankfully， a change bus is always a comin’。”This book really surprised me。 I wasn’t expecting to be so easily pulled into this memoir。 Charles Person was one of the original 13 Freedom Riders during the summer of 1961。 This group sought to challenge resistance to desegregating interstate bus travel in the United States。Mr。 Person starts his memoir giving the reader a glimpse into his upbringing in the bottoms of Atlanta。 One of the experiences he recounts is a visit his family made to relatives in the country and encountering the Klan on the trip back to Atlanta。 His description of the event is from the standpoint of a child and is one of the most vivid encounters I have read。He then moves to describing his days at Morehouse and how he was active in the Student Nonviolent movement at the Atlanta University Center。 This would be his first taste of protest and activism。 It also was preparation for the Freedom Ride ahead。By the times Mr。 Person begins recalling the Freedom Ride days， I was on the edge of my seat。 He perfectly describes the tension， the smells， the anger， the words he and his fellow riders encountered。Parts of the book read like a rousing speech Mr。 Person must have given before。 I am sure he has recounted his story many times over the last 60 years and finally penned into a moving memoir with the assistance of his friend， Richard Rooker。The points Mr。 Person makes in the memoir about the effects of systematic racism on American society are still valid today。 This book will appeal to those who seek to learn more about systematic racism in the United States， those who are interested in the nonviolent student movements of the 1960’s and those who enjoy a well written memoir。Thanks to St。 Martin’s Press for providing a review copy of this book via Netgalley。 。。。more
Suzanne
，
Evocative， painful and inspiring， Charles Person tells us about the innocence of his childhood that morphed into a compelling call to stand up for change。 In BUSES ARE A COMING， he describes the call for change that ranged from conditions in the South to President Kennedy’s inauguration。 It’s hard to imagine now， with all we’ve recently been through politically， that a President’s call would be to fix the world by individual action。 It would come at considerable cost to those that answered。“For Evocative， painful and inspiring， Charles Person tells us about the innocence of his childhood that morphed into a compelling call to stand up for change。 In BUSES ARE A COMING， he describes the call for change that ranged from conditions in the South to President Kennedy’s inauguration。 It’s hard to imagine now， with all we’ve recently been through politically， that a President’s call would be to fix the world by individual action。 It would come at considerable cost to those that answered。“For in 1961， we， the students， represented the inch that， if given in to， would lead to the mile white Southerners had no intention of yielding。“Person challenges readers to stand up to injustice now， as he and other did in the Civil Rights Movement。 This book is a necessary addition to our national conversation; it should be widely read。 I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley。 。。。more
Dusti Bontempo
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I received a widget from the publisher to read this book early。 Honestly， I hesitated because it’s just not my type of book （a memoir）。 But I ultimately thought if they want me to read it， it must be good。I’m glad I decided to read it！ This is such a beautifully written account of one of the Freedom Riders’s perspective on the ride， plus everything leading up to it。I learned things from this book that no one will ever teach in a history class （in fact Person said he never learned it in history， I received a widget from the publisher to read this book early。 Honestly， I hesitated because it’s just not my type of book （a memoir）。 But I ultimately thought if they want me to read it， it must be good。I’m glad I decided to read it！ This is such a beautifully written account of one of the Freedom Riders’s perspective on the ride， plus everything leading up to it。I learned things from this book that no one will ever teach in a history class （in fact Person said he never learned it in history， either）。 He only learned it while training to become a Freedom Rider - and I only know because of him。 I had never even heard of Lonnie King or Irene Morgan before， but they were major contributors to the way our lives are today。 They pushed for a better America and they are true unsung heroes。 I knew very little about the Freedom Riders before this book， but now that I can truly understand， I think this is a must-read for everyone。 Person’s parallelism and his extended metaphors are major contributors to this piece of literature。 He tells us （in much more eloquent words） that change is only made when people get on the bus。 In order to make change， you need to get people on board。 。。。more
Jill
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5 starsBuses Are Coming by Charles Person and Richard RookerThis needs to be required reading in every school across the globe。 This book is beyond incredible。 It truly hurt my heart to read this and the horror this man and his fellow freedom riders had to deal with to just be treated as a human being with rights and dignity。 Enlightening， heartbreaking and motivating all at the same time。 60 years have passed and so much has changed and yet it seems as nothing has， it is more than a tad discour 5 starsBuses Are Coming by Charles Person and Richard RookerThis needs to be required reading in every school across the globe。 This book is beyond incredible。 It truly hurt my heart to read this and the horror this man and his fellow freedom riders had to deal with to just be treated as a human being with rights and dignity。 Enlightening， heartbreaking and motivating all at the same time。 60 years have passed and so much has changed and yet it seems as nothing has， it is more than a tad discouraging。 I am so impressed by Charles Person， he is not just a bitter man filled with hate。 He is truly an inspiration。If you only read one book this year， it needs to be this one。I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley。 。。。more
Raymond
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There are many unsung heroes of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s。 Charles Person， the author of Buses Are A Comin’， is one of them。 Person is one of two original Freedom Riders that are still living today （alongside Hank Thomas）。 He was the youngest member of this group of activists who rode buses from Washington， D。C。 to the Deep South to test whether two Supreme Court cases that outlawed segregation on buses and bus stations were going to be enforced。 Person’s memoir is coming There are many unsung heroes of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s。 Charles Person， the author of Buses Are A Comin’， is one of them。 Person is one of two original Freedom Riders that are still living today （alongside Hank Thomas）。 He was the youngest member of this group of activists who rode buses from Washington， D。C。 to the Deep South to test whether two Supreme Court cases that outlawed segregation on buses and bus stations were going to be enforced。 Person’s memoir is coming out at the just the right time for the 60th Anniversary of the Freedom Rides and at another time of strong civil rights activism。Person’s book is a memoir covering his early life to his involvement in the Freedom Rides。 It begins with his upbringing on Bradley Street in the Bottoms neighborhood in Atlanta， Georgia。 He had his first encounter with the KKK when he was a child。 He describes it in vivid detail， it would not be his last run-in with the Klan。 His memoir continues through his school days and to the time he was considering colleges。 His first choice MIT was too expensive to attend and his second choice Georgia Tech would not admit him because of his skin color。 Feeling down， his grandfather picks him back up by telling him to “do something”。 Readers will find that this mantra is important later on in Person’s life。 He ultimately decides to attend Morehouse College。 It was at Morehouse that he meets Lonnie King and Julian Bond who get him involved in the Atlanta Student Movement， where they protested segregated lunch counters and succeed in integrating them。The rest of the book chronicles Person’s experience on the Freedom Rides。 He writes about each member who was involved， White and Black， with particular focus on the White members and their motivations for getting involved。 This is especially the case for Jim Peck who was a White millionaire who participated in the Freedom Rides。 Person does a good job telling what it was like to participate in this movement。 Specifically how the Riders did not face a lot of opposition in the earlier stops， but trouble and violence occurred as soon as they arrived in the Deep South。 It would be this violence by racist Whites and Klan members that would end their Freedom Ride early。 Person gives a brief summary of the other Freedom Rides that picked up where his group left off， but leaves it to those participants to tell their side of the story。He ends this memoir by covering his life post-Freedom Ride， his service in the military in Cuba （during the Cuban Missile Crisis） and Vietnam。 Both experiences could be books of their own。 Person is particularly strong when he discusses the cost of his service in the Civil Rights Movement and the military。 As a result he suffered injuries and physical issues that continue to effect him to this day。 White members of the Freedom Rides also suffered a cost， their families disinherited them and others either currently live or died in poverty。 This was good to mention because sometimes we see activists who end up living a lavish lifestyle， but that is usually just the ones who became famous post-movement。 Others who tend to be unsung live normal or dismal lives， never really appreciated for the service they did for our country。Throughout the book Person explicitly makes connections between his activism and the young activists who are involved in various social movements today。 Our modern day activists stand on the shoulders of people like Charles Person and the other lesser known activists of the 1950s and 1960s。 This will be a great book for young activists to read， to learn they are not alone， that someone has been in their shoes。 Students of history and the Civil Rights Movement will enjoy reading this beautifully written book。Thanks to NetGalley， St。 Martin’s Press， Charles Person， and Richard Rooker for a free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review。 This book will be released on April 27， 2021。First posted here: https://medium。com/ballasts-for-the-m。。。 。。。more
Judy
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I had heard of the Freedom Riders， but didn’t realize that it was both black people and white people riding the buses， testing the systems。 Buses Are A Comin’ by Charles Person， along with Richard Rooker， is an absolutely fascinating book。 Written in a conversational style， I felt like we were having coffee， with Mr。 Person telling me his stories from the past。 The horrible way he and the others were treated in Alabama by white people for just sitting in any seat on the bus sickened me。 It did n I had heard of the Freedom Riders， but didn’t realize that it was both black people and white people riding the buses， testing the systems。 Buses Are A Comin’ by Charles Person， along with Richard Rooker， is an absolutely fascinating book。 Written in a conversational style， I felt like we were having coffee， with Mr。 Person telling me his stories from the past。 The horrible way he and the others were treated in Alabama by white people for just sitting in any seat on the bus sickened me。 It did not surprise me， because we see now 60 years later how some people are reacting to the BLM movement。 When the buses come， it is up to all of us to get on them。 Thank you to Netgalley and St。 Martin’s Press for the ARC。 All opinions expressed are my own。 。。。more
Joseph J。
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Won in a Goodreads giveaway。 Segregation defined the South and its ghost lingers to this day。 I'm told that at my grandfather's 1934 funeral African American mourners gathered under a tree in the yard; they simply did not come into the house。 Yet in that same society my 10-year old mother addressed her African American elders as "aunt" or "uncle" and never by a first name alone-disrespectful。 Charles Person falls between my mother's and my generation。 In this rich and deeply personal memoir he m Won in a Goodreads giveaway。 Segregation defined the South and its ghost lingers to this day。 I'm told that at my grandfather's 1934 funeral African American mourners gathered under a tree in the yard; they simply did not come into the house。 Yet in that same society my 10-year old mother addressed her African American elders as "aunt" or "uncle" and never by a first name alone-disrespectful。 Charles Person falls between my mother's and my generation。 In this rich and deeply personal memoir he moves from a youth of poverty and strong parental models and his father's justified fear of the Klan， to confront that same Klan and racist hatred as a young man。 （My white grandfather would douse the lights and close the blinds when the Klan would be riding！）In 1960 the promising college student Person risked life and future to secure to become a Freedom Rider， to the great concern of his mother。 This organized movement would see blacks announce Federal law with their bodies， in the front of a bus or in a bus station lobby or restaurant。 As buses plunged from D。C。 deeper South hatred and human savagery worsened。 Where does such visceral hatred and action come from; the beatings and the fires and castration with a razor blade" This was 20th。 century post World War II America fifteen years after Nazi savagery in the concentration camps was defeated。 In contrast to the hatred we see the nonviolent confrontational courage of black students and other Freedom Riders， including some whites， including the educated and in the case of Jim Peck the wealthy。 As Peck and Person would learn， hatred and violence are colorblind。 Several years after Person's pioneering ride， the nuns in my Catholic school in the South held the Freedom Riders and other Civil Rights workers as heroes， often in opposition to some school dads Southern born and otherwise。 Person reminds the the roaring racism which he encountered was/is only louder in the South。 It is a national problem， as we have been reminded sharply starting last spring and continuing into today's voter suppression efforts。 Therefore this book is not a history， but also a warning to our nation today。 。。。more
Overia D
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Excellent！ Mr。 King doesn't dissapoint with his new book！ Couldnot put this book down until I had read it cover to cover。 Excellent！ Mr。 King doesn't dissapoint with his new book！ Couldnot put this book down until I had read it cover to cover。 。。。more
Jade
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50 years ago Charles Person got on a bus with the intent to travel through the deep south from Washington DC all the way to New Orleans， testing to see if states were abiding by the Supreme Court decision that rendered segregation unconstitutional。 Despite this federal ruling removing segregation in buses， bus depots， restaurants， schools， etc， southern states were not following these rulings， and instead were often fighting against them。 Charles Person was the youngest member to join what becam 50 years ago Charles Person got on a bus with the intent to travel through the deep south from Washington DC all the way to New Orleans， testing to see if states were abiding by the Supreme Court decision that rendered segregation unconstitutional。 Despite this federal ruling removing segregation in buses， bus depots， restaurants， schools， etc， southern states were not following these rulings， and instead were often fighting against them。 Charles Person was the youngest member to join what became the original Freedom Ride that year， and Buses Are A Comin’ contains his recollections of what led up to his joining the movement， and how it played out for him and the other members。This memoir is an absolutely gripping read。 We learn about Charles Person’s childhood in Atlanta， how he comes of age in an era where people around him are standing up against the status quo， and how he joins the movement himself。 I loved the tone of this book， Person’s voice draws you in and provides such a detailed view of not only the Freedom Ride itself but also the people he traveled with， even all these years later。 I also really appreciated the parallels that he draws between then and now。 In the grand scheme of things 50 years is not that long ago， and while we may seem to have come a long way since the days of visible segregation in the south， the policies and actions of the law and the general public have not really changed very much， and we should all still be jumping on buses as soon as we see them coming。 We can all be as brave as Charles Person and everyone else he jumped on those buses with。Highly recommended read， this is one that I will be reading to my kids in a couple of years。 It contains a lot of important history and lessons that we all need to understand and remember and pass on。Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Trina
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I received an ARC from NetGalley， and then it kept falling off the top of my too-read pile。 This is a great book for understanding more of the pieces of the puzzle in regards to the Civil Rights movement in the USA， with this book focusing on 1960-61 but providing many lesser known examples from the years before。 No matter how much I read， I still find myself shocked by the extreme cruelty and racism that others can exhibit， as well as by the exceptional bravery of those who peacefully stand aga I received an ARC from NetGalley， and then it kept falling off the top of my too-read pile。 This is a great book for understanding more of the pieces of the puzzle in regards to the Civil Rights movement in the USA， with this book focusing on 1960-61 but providing many lesser known examples from the years before。 No matter how much I read， I still find myself shocked by the extreme cruelty and racism that others can exhibit， as well as by the exceptional bravery of those who peacefully stand against it。 So， why three stars？ For whatever reason， to me it felt verrrry long and took me much longer to read than most books。 。。。more
Darcia Helle
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For me， true heroes aren’t celebrities or athletes who get paid a ton of money to do their jobs。 Heroes are people like Charles Person， a man who stood up for his rights despite the threat to his safety， remained peaceful in the face of aggression， and showed love in the face of hate。This memoir is beautiful， heartbreaking， fascinating， inspiring， and hopeful。The writing style is conversational， as if we’re sitting down with Charles Person as he tells us about his life and， most prominently， his For me， true heroes aren’t celebrities or athletes who get paid a ton of money to do their jobs。 Heroes are people like Charles Person， a man who stood up for his rights despite the threat to his safety， remained peaceful in the face of aggression， and showed love in the face of hate。This memoir is beautiful， heartbreaking， fascinating， inspiring， and hopeful。The writing style is conversational， as if we’re sitting down with Charles Person as he tells us about his life and， most prominently， his experience as a Freedom Rider during the early sixties。 He writes with rich detail， allowing me to understand， in at least a small way， what it was like to be a Black man living in the south during this tumultuous era。I don’t have appropriate words for how I feel about this book and all it represents。 So read this book。 Learn。 Grow。 Be part of the change。*I received a review copy from St。 Martin’s Press， via NetGalley。* 。。。more
Glenn Stenquist
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