Joan Browning facts for kids

Joan Constance Browning is a brave Freedom Rider and a civil rights activist. She is known for taking part in peaceful protests in the southern United States during the 1960s. She helped fight for equal rights for all people.

Joan Browning's Early Life and Activism

Joan Browning grew up in rural Georgia. In 1959, when she was 16, she started college at Georgia State College for Women. While there, she began to get involved in the Freedom Rider movement. This movement worked to end unfair segregation laws.

Because of her activism, Joan was asked to leave her college in 1961. This happened after she decided to attend a Black church. At 18, she moved to Atlanta. There, she worked in the library at Emory University and took classes at night.

Becoming a Freedom Rider

When she was 19, Joan became one of the Freedom Riders. These brave people traveled through the South in 1961. They were a mixed group of Black and white people. They rode buses together to challenge unfair laws that separated people by race.

Joan was arrested in Albany, Georgia. She was the only white woman put in jail there. She stayed in jail for five days. After she was released, she shared her feelings. She said it was "a funny, mixed-up feeling to hate being in a dirty place — but to be glad that you're there for a good reason."

Continuing Her Work

Joan Browning's important role in the civil rights movement is also shared in the book The Road South. This book was written by B. J. Hollars and tells stories about the Freedom Riders.

Joan later graduated from West Virginia State College in 1994. This school is now called West Virginia State University. Today, she still shares her experiences from the civil rights movement at public events. She does this to teach young people about history. She also writes about important civil rights leaders, like Fannie Lou Hamer.

Awards and Honors

Joan Browning has received special awards for her work. In 2000, she got the West Virginia Martin Luther King Jr. "Living the Dream Award." In 2005, she received the Martin Luther King Achievement Award from West Virginia University.