According to an 11Alive.com report, Charles Person, who risked his life during the Civil Rights Movement, died last week at age 82.
Person was the youngest member of the Freedom Riders — an activist group who rode buses through the segregated Southern United States in 1961 to protest segregation.
According to his family, he died on Jan. 8 at his home in Fayetteville, GA.
“Charles was a man of quiet strength, humility, and unwavering resolve. He believed deeply in the power of community, education, and love to overcome hatred and division. His life was a testament to resilience and hope, and his legacy will remain a guiding light for all who strive for justice,” his family said in a statement.
Person’s Civil Rights journey started at Morehouse College, an HBCU ins Georgia. There, he joined the Atlanta Committee on Appeal for Human Rights and later joined the CORE Freedom Ride.
Person previously described his experiences with former 11Alive reporter La’Tasha Givens in 2021.
“Someone may spit on you. They might throw condiments on you, they might even put a cigarette out on you,” said Person. “But that was the extent of all we thought they might do.”
Person joined the Freedom Riders when he was just 18 years old.
“No one would have ever thought that they would set a bus on fire or that they would do the things to us (that they did) on Mother’s Day in 1961,” he previously said.
“All we knew was, we were told that the bus was set on fire, and our friends were on that bus,” he said. “And the group that burned the bus followed them to the hospital and even threatened to burn the hospital down.”
After the Freedom Rides, Person served in the Marine Corps, retiring as a 1st Lieutenant after 20 years
Person was recently interviewed — watch the clip below:
My interview with original 1961 Freedom Rider, Charles Person. He passed away January 8, 2025. R.I.P. pic.twitter.com/HGoRCxxevA
— Sankofa TravelHer (@SankofaTravelHr) January 10, 2025