(KNZA)--A hero of the civil rights movement of the 1960's is coming to Hiawatha as part of Women’s History Month.
Joan Trumpauer Mulholland, who was involved with the lunch counter sit-ins and Freedom Rides through Mississippi and nearly lost her life as a result, will be giving a presentation on her inspirational life at the forefront of the movement Thursday evening at 7:00 at the Hiawatha High School auditorium.
Organizer Kevin Hill says the presentation, which will include the award winning documentary on her life, " An Ordinary Hero" and a question and answer period, is open to the public free of charge.
“We're really excited to have Joan coming to Hiawatha,” Hill said. “I think this her first trip to Kansas for a speaking engagement. She's a highly sought after speaker on the civil rights era, and we're very fortunate that she has agreed to come to Hiawatha.”
Hill says Mulholland will begin her day Thursday with a booking reading at the Hiawatha Elementary School of a children’s book written on her life, followed by a question and answer period. That afternoon she will give a presentation at Hiawatha High School for high school and middle school students that will include the showing of a short portion of the documentary film followed by a question and answer period.
Hill says Mulholland, who is now 75-years-old and lives in Virginia, was one of the few people that were involved in so many facets of the civil rights era.
“Her story is just fascinating,” Hill added. “She grew up in a family who believed in segregation. She was Christian, and so as she was going through church and bible school, she really began questioning how you can be Christian and favor segregation.” Hill said when she became involved in sit-ins, she was alienated by her family and friends. “The civil rights movement became her family,” he said.
Hill says he became aware of Mulholland during a family summer trip that included a tour of a lot of the civil rights sites in Alabama and stop at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis.
“Part of the museum in Memphis, there is a wall with all of the mugshots of the freedom riders that were arrested for simply riding on a bus with African Americans,” Hill said. “Her picture really stood out. She was one of the few white females participating in the freedom rides.”
Hill said through follow-up on her story, he found she was involved in one of the most famous and violent sit-ins of the movement at the Jackson Woolworth lunch counter and helped plan and organize the March on Washington.
A group of Hiawatha 8th graders are working to spread the word about Mulholland’s visit. Three of them, Nikki Stueve, Sophia Hill and Kate Madsen, talked about Mulholland’s involvement in the civil rights movement during an interview with MSC News, which can be heard below.
Hiawatha 8th grade students ( L-R) Nikki Stueve, Sophia Hill and Kate Madsen discuss Joan Trumpauer Mulholland's involvement in the 1960's civil rights movements during an interview with MSC News.
