It was over 50 years ago when Robert Singleton and his wife, Helen, boarded a bus from Los Angeles to Mississippi to protest racial segregation in the South. At the time, opinions varied regarding the wisdom of such activism by young people like the Singletons, but in the years since, the Freedom Riders have been recognized as exemplars of social justice.
Robert Singleton is now an associate professor of Economics at LMU, and he and his wife have told their story in many different venues in the years since the Freedom Rides. Below is a sampling of stories and testimonials about the historic importance of those 1961 bus rides.
From Bus Rides to Obama
Robert Singleton reflects on his experience for LMU Magazine in light of the election of Barack Obama as U.S. president in 2008.
The Freedom Ride from L.A. to Jackson
This LMU Magazine Q&A with Helen Singleton, who earned a graduate degree from LMU in 1985, commemorated the 50th anniversary of her Freedom Ride.
American Experience: Helen and Bob Singleton
In this PBS video from 2011, the couple revisit the site of their 1961 arrest in Jackson, Miss.
UCLA event
Both Singletons were honored by their alma mater in February 2015.
