The event at Miami’s main Oxford campus commemorated the collaboration between Miami and the Butler County Regional Transit Authority (BCRTA).
Following the ceremony, attendees went outside for a view of the bus and a tour of its interior, which features panels detailing the history of the Freedom Summer trainings at Miami.
For two weeks in June 1964, 800 participants traveled to the Western College campus, which is now a part of Miami, and trained to register Black voters in the South.
According to Miami officials, Pheetta Wilkinson, a 1976 alumna of Western College, talked of former Western dean of students Phyllis Hoyt, whose book “Where the Peonies Bloomed: a Memoir of My Years at Western College” reflected on Freedom Summer.
“On behalf of Western alumnae, thank you to Miami University and BCRTA for honoring these courageous young student volunteers who helped shape history, beginning right here on the Western campus,” Wilkinson said.
In 2000, Miami dedicated its Freedom Summer memorial on Western campus to honor the memories of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner, three civil rights workers who were murdered in Mississippi while registering Black voters.
In 2018, the university also established the Freedom Summer of ’64 Award, given to inaugural recipient U.S. Rep. John Lewis, who played a key role in organizing voter registration efforts during Freedom Summer.
The bus transports passengers throughout Butler County.
Paneling inside the bus includes the topics “Celebrating the right to vote,” “History in Our Backyard,” “Freedom Summer,” “A Safe Haven for Training,” “Sparking Change,” “A Lasting Impact,” and “Honoring Their Legacy.”
“Everywhere it goes, it’s going to carry this important piece of local history with it,” said Matthew Dutkevicz, executive director of BCRTA.
“Together, we’re ensuring that the story of Freedom Summer doesn’t stay in the archives. It’s going to travel the streets, meet people where they are, and inspire the next generation. Thank you so much for letting us be a part of this. We’re truly honored to be able to help bring that story and be a partner.”
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