Minuteman High School Hosts Experts on Freedom Riders and Civil Rights Movement

By Judy Bass

Two individuals with extensive knowledge of the Freedom Riders of the 1960s and their impact on the civil rights movement are scheduled to visit Minuteman High School in Lexington on April 8 to discuss this subject with members of the Class of 2015, said Minuteman social studies instructor Michael Buckley.

The guests are Dan Watt and his wife, Molly Lynn Watt, both of whom participated in the civil rights movement. Mrs. Lynn Watt wrote a collection of poems titled “On Wings of Song,” which, as Buckley noted, “covers her experience of the Jim Crow South.”

With the passage of a half-century since the social tumult and upheaval of the 1960s, it seems appropriate to encourage students to look back on that era today, reflect upon the historic changes those years ushered in, and examine their contemporary relevance and ramifications.

The Freedom Riders played a key role in the civil rights movement by voluntarily being passengers on interstate buses to underscore the lack of enforcement of and compliance with Supreme Court decisions making segregation on public buses unconstitutional.

Inviting speakers like the Lynn Watts helps students probe beyond the content of their textbooks and achieve a deeper understanding of pivotal events in our history.

Mr. Watt wrote, “I think students today have a unique opportunity – many veterans of the movement of the ‘60s are still around and eager to share [their experiences] with young people.”

Minuteman is an award-winning regional high school that gives its graduates a competitive edge in the new global economy by providing them with a high-quality career and technical education, coupled with a rigorous grounding in mathematics, English, science, and social studies.

At Minuteman, students can currently major in 19 career and technical education programs at the same time they take rigorous academic courses, similar to those in traditional academic high schools. Minuteman offers a wide selection of academic courses and programs, including foreign languages (Spanish, French and Latin), art, Advanced Placement courses, and Girls in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). It also offers a wide range of sports and does not charge any fees to participate.