The Civil Rights Presentation was hosted in science building room 201 on the morning of Feb. 22. There were so many students in attendance that some even had to stand through the presentation.

Normally, students link the civil rights movement to Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. Most students are not aware that there were other organizations, such as the SNCC or The Black Panthers who also contributed to this turning point in history.  

That was the case for nursing student, Dora Sanchez, who attended the presentation.

“The main emphasis is on Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks, but there were so many other people involved,” Sanchez said after watching the video and listening to the discussion.

The video showed footage of the Freedom Riders, a group of civil rights activists who took a challenging and violent bus ride through the segregated south.

This group consisted of both black and white members, a fact that did not sit well with the south. The further they drove, the more they struggled. At the same time, however, every mile they conquered was one more mile toward their fight for freedom. 

Sanchez reacted to this footage by commenting on how much violence was shown.

“I was not aware of how much they actually struggled. This video showed how much violence actually took place.”

History professor Walter Fernandez stressed the importance of why students need learn about the past.

“A lot of freedom and opportunities that students have today are a result of these struggles. If they don’t know, they take these things for granted,” Fernandez said.

History professor George Jarrett was the speaker at the presentation. Jarrett mentioned that it is important for students to learn about these organizations because they created the society we live in today. 

“We live in a society where, at least for the most part, the assumption is that people should be treated as equals. My goal was to increase awareness and understanding of the civil rights movement,” Jarrett said.

The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee came up during the presentation. This group of activists was made up of college students.

Jarrett knew that the students at the presentation would be able to identify with this group of activists.

“SNCC is really important for people to look at and understand,” he said, “especially college students, as people are thinking of who they are and how they want to affect the world.”