From The Archives: A Conversation With Freedom Rider Antoinette Merriman

The once buried story of Freedom Fighter and Freedom Rider, Antoinette Smith Merriman, is uncovered. Over fifty years ago, activist Antoinette participated in protests in Baton Rouge, LA where she was a student at Southern University. She also risked her life as a Freedom Rider traveling throughout Louisiana and Mississippi.

After years of not sharing her story because of this painful time in her life, Antoinette is sharing her story with The Giving Net. She was beaten, arrested, and expelled from Southern because of her participation in the Civil Rights Movement, but she continued to fight for humanity and civil rights.

Read her story that was published in the Chicago Defender. 

Tune in below to hear Antoinette’s heroic story and learn some songs she and her fellow freedom fighters sang.