The San Leandro Public Library proudly presents in observance of African American History Month… Freedom Rider Diary Author Event with guest speaker Freddye M. Davis, President of NAACP Hayward Branch and Freedom Rider Diary Discussion and Book Signing by guest author Carol Ruth Silver Saturday, February 7, 2015 2 pm to 3 pm Estudillo Room Main Library 300 Estudillo Avenue Free Admission – Reception after program In 1961, a group of civil rights activists, called Freedom Riders, rode interstate buses into the southern United States to test the U.S. Supreme Court rulings that outlawed segregation in interstate bus and terminal facilities. Brutality and arrests inflicted on the Riders called national attention to the disregard for federal law and the local violence used to enforce segregation. Carol Ruth Silver was arrested and jailed, along with other activists, as a Freedom Rider. At the time of the arrest, she was a 22-year-old recent college graduate from Massachusetts. She spent the next forty days in Mississippi jail cells. She chronicled her horrifying experiences on hidden scraps of paper and upon release, smuggled them out. From these notes she published Freedom Rider Diary fifty years later. Freddye M. Davis, President of the Hayward Branch of NAACP, will speak on her personal experiences during the Civil Rights Movement. Carol Ruth Silver will then discuss her book Freedom Rider Diary. A book-signing session for Ms. Silver and a reception will follow for both honored guests. About Freddye M. Davis: Freddye M. Davis, President of the Hayward Branch of the NAACP, was one of two NAACP members honored as “Woman of the Year” by the California State Legislature in 2006 for her strength as a crusader for civil rights. Since moving to Hayward in 1967, Ms. Davis has continued her efforts in creating greater awareness on race equality and has been President of the Hayward Branch since 1990. About Carol Ruth Silver: Carol Ruth Silver graduated from law school in 1964 and spent her post-law school internship working for the African-American attorney Floyd McKissick, who later became head of the Congress for Racial Equality. From 1977–1989, she served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, working with LGBT pioneer Harvey Milk on important legislation. She now works on pro bono educational projects. For more information, please call the Main Library at (510) 577-3971. San Leandro Public Library 300 Estudillo Avenue • San Leandro, CA 94577 • www . sanleandrolibrary.org .