The Times and Democrat May 3, 2011 Claflin alums, civil rights veterans to appear on 'Oprah' Wednesday Two Claflin University alumni who were veterans of the civil rights movement will appear Wednesday on the "Oprah Winfrey Show" to discuss their experiences in the fight for equality five decades ago. Dr. Thomas Gaither, class of 1960, and his sister, Glenda Gaither Davis, class of '63, will be among a group of legendary Freedom Riders to talk with the media impresario. "I think it's a great lifetime opportunity. I'm very excited about it," Davis said. Davis will also be featured on the PBS special "Freedom Riders" airing in May. The Freedom Riders were a group of several hundred non-violent protestors who desired to test the strength of a Supreme Court ruling that said desegregation of buses and trains across state lines was unconstitutional. They rode together in large numbers on those trains and buses from state to state in 1961. Freedom Riders were often met with discrimination and, in some cases, violence or imprisonment. The Freedom Rides were organized by the Congress of Racial Equality, or CORE, in which Gaither was the national field secretary. During a Freedom Ride in Mississippi, authorities arrested and jailed more than 300 protesters in Parchman State Penitentiary. Davis was one of them. She spent 50 days in Parchman and later served time in the Hines County Jail in Mississippi. Davis noted she began her involvement in the civil rights movement at Claflin, which was ground zero for launching non-violent protests in Orangeburg. She was also arrested for protesting at the Statehouse in Columbia the year before. In September 1961, the Interstate Commerce Commission issued an order to cease all segregation in buses and trains. After the order, Gaither suggested another ride across the South to test the strength of the ruling. The group, which included seven black and six white people, encountered little trouble during their journey, proof that the movement was gaining ground. Davis said she is looking forward to seeing old friends during the Oprah interview. "She (Winfrey) is getting us together to rehash some facts. I'm going to see people I haven't seen in years," she said. Davis moved to Georgia after graduating from Claflin. She was a teacher for 38 years. Her late husband, James, '62, was also a Freedom Rider. Gaither received his doctorate in plant biology/botany, with a specialty in mycology, from the University of Iowa. He spent 39 years as a professor and member of the faculty in the biology department at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. PBS' "Freedom Riders" is directed by award-winning filmmaker Stanley Nelson. It chronicles the experience of activists like Davis, government officials and journalists who covered the Freedom Riders. It will premiere nationally at 9 p.m. Monday, May 16, on PBS. "I'm really glad that someone decided to acknowledge the Freedom Riders as a critical piece in the civil rights movement. It was significant to take a better look at it," Davis said of the PBS program. The interview with Gaither and Davis on the syndicated "Oprah Winfrey Show" will air Wednesday, May 4. Check local television listings for more information on both programs. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Program Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 404.592.4820 Skype:sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree Street NW Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.