Carol Anderson, a graduate of Miami University, a historian, author and educator at Emory University received this year’s Freedom Summer Award. Miami University created the award to honor and recognize champions of civil rights, social justice and equality, according to its website.
The ceremony started off with a song by the Miami Chamber Singers and was followed by a piano solo of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by G Preston Wilson Jr, the director of the Fisk Jubilee Singers.
The pinnacle of the ceremony was the presentation of the award by Miami University President Greg Crawford, recognizing Anderson for her lifelong commitment to civil rights and equality.
After the presentation of her award and acceptance speech, Anderson sat down with Kelly Banks, a former award-winning television news writer and producer, for a fireside chat. She discussed the importance of voting rights, where she said her passion for social justice began.
When she was younger, Anderson said she lived in the city of Linden, Ohio, where her father, who was a strong community activist, took charge of keeping the city accountable. He decided to turn Linden dry when he saw an overconsumption of alcohol in the city. The people got out and voted on the issue, and for the first time, Anderson said she saw how much voting could change the world around her.
“People came out and voted,” Anderson said, “and you just saw that incredible hope, people taking control of their community.”
Anderson said she wants to make sure that what happened in the past, with people in power making it very hard for African Americans to vote, will not happen again. During the discussion, she repeated a powerful quote from Mark Twain as a response to inequality in the past versus today.
“‘History may not repeat itself, but it sure do rhyme,’” Anderson said.“We are dealing with the rhymes.”
Anderson’s commentary on social justice and the fight for equality showcased why she was chosen as the recipient of the Freedom Summer Award of 2024.
Elise Kenney, a junior marketing major, said she was inspired by Anderson’s intelligence and her desire to educate others on social justice and equality.
“You could really see her passion for what she was talking about and also you could tell how knowledgeable she was,” Kenney said.
Claire Hanna, a sophomore political science major, attended at the recommendation of her professor but said she was impressed by the entire ceremony.
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“Very touching,” Hannah said. ”The award was greatly deserved in my opinion.”
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