Freedom Rider, American civil rights activist and history maker, Joan Trumpauer Mulholland, spoke with eighth graders at Piccowaxen Middle School on Wednesday, Feb. 16 about her experience fighting for equality in the 1960s. By the time Mulholland was 23 years old, she had participated in over 50 sit-ins and demonstrations. For her actions she was disowned by her family, attacked, shot at and put on death row.
She has received numerous awards, wrote several books and traveled sharing her experience. She has crossed paths with notable names such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Fannie Lou Hamer and John Lewis.
Tiffiney Linton, eighth-grade language arts teacher at Piccowaxen, was ecstatic when the opportunity arose for Mulholland and her son, Loki Mulholland, to come and speak to the eighth graders. Linton said that she wanted the students to encounter “living history.”
When Mulholland was asked to give advice to the eighth graders on continuing the path of fighting for change despite rising fear or adversity, she said, “Stay nonviolent, have goals clearly stated, remember the power of the press… the press takes your message to the world. Get out there and get into some good trouble.”
Piccowaxen Principal Wualanda Thenstead said that she wants the students who attended the assembly to “acknowledge, embrace and value the living history.” She explained the unbelievable encounter that the students had on Wednesday — “for someone to come to them and talk with them about things they actually have seen in their history books, have read about and now they get to experience this in real time,” she said.
Eighth-grade students and members of the Board of Education of Charles County had the opportunity to ask Mulholland questions related to her experience. When eighth grader, Thomas Gaines asked, “Who gave you the power to continue your fight for civil rights?” Mulholland said, “Everybody.” She said that the people in the movement became like family. “We always knew we would have each other’s backs.” Board Member David Hancock reminisced on learning about the civil rights movement while he was in school. “Never in a million years did I think that I would come face to face with someone who went through stuff like that,” he said. He told the eighth graders to “not take lightly” the knowledge that Mulholland spoke of at the assembly that day.
To read more about Mulholland visit https://joantrumpauermulholland.org/who-is-joan/.
About CCPS
Charles County Public Schools provides 27,000 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 37 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.
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