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Freedom Ride 2007
Vanderbilt students joined participants in the original 1961 rides for another historic bus trip to Montgomery and Birmingham, Alabama, in January. Students heard firsthand what it was like to confront social injustice as a college student in Nashville in 1961 and were challenged to critically assess the ongoing struggle for freedom in the 21st century and to consider ways in which today’s college students might be agents of change.Nashville played a critical role in the Freedom Rides. It was here that many of the volunteers received training in the principles of non-violent protest under the tutelage of the Rev. James Lawson, now Distinguished University Professor at Vanderbilt. As a young man, Lawson studied the Gandhian movement in India and was dubbed by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. “the leading nonviolence theorist in the world.”
Vanderbilt celebrates a rich diversity of thought and identity. We believe a residential community provides the opportunity for a well-rounded academic and social experience. Our students, faculty, staff, programming, and community initiatives all demonstrate Vanderbilt's commitment to diversity. We strive each year to recruit a highly qualified first-year class from a variety of populations.
Dr. Douglas Christiansen, Associate Provost for Enrollment Management and Dean of Admissions, says “We recognize that top students can be found among all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups, and our recruiters work hard to identify them and to make them aware of the opportunities available to Vanderbilt students.”
Diversity is nothing new to Vanderbilt, a school that opened its doors in 1875 to men and women, fielded the first black athelete in the SEC, and whose students created Alternative Spring Break and Project Head Start. Use the following links to see how we reach out to our community and beyond through extraordinary programs such as Project Dialogue, where we focus on societal issues with the help of guests that have included Naomi Wolf, Oliver Sacks, Al Franken, John Ashcroft, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.