Charles Person, the youngest of the original Freedom Riders in 1961, passed away on Jan. 8 at age 82 in Georgia. Shown from left are Person’s wife, Jo Etta Person; Richard Rooker; and Person. Photo provided.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — Charles Person’s legacy in fighting for civil rights was simply “(doing) something,” said Richard Rooker.

Rooker, of Warsaw, reflected on Person following his passing at age 82 on Jan. 8 in Georgia. Person was the youngest member of the original Freedom Riders, an interracial group who traveled in the South in 1961 to advocate for desegregation of transportation.

Rooker, a former Warsaw Community Schools’ language arts teacher, co-authored Person’s memoir “Buses Are A Comin’.” He will speak at Person’s funeral services on Wednesday, Jan. 22.

Person spoke several times in Warsaw, both in person and virtually. He last appeared in 2023 virtually at Grace College’s chapel service honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Rooker recalled Person chose to act when faced with injustice.

“When he was rejected from Georgia Tech in 1960 solely because of his skin color, his grandfather told him not to wallow in pity, but to do something about it. Charles did,” said Rooker. “As a college freshman, he helped desegregate Atlanta. As a Freedom Rider, he helped desegregate the entire country’s interstate transportation system, so that today we can sit, eat and travel together interracially on any forms of public transportation and in any transportation terminals.”

Rooker described Person as being “joyful and as optimistic as people come.”

“He always believed tomorrow will be better than today no matter what current circumstances may suggest,” said Rooker. “He had a deep, abiding belief in the promise of America. He dedicated his life working to move America ever closer to its founding ideas of all being created equal and endowed with unalienable rights.”

Rooker noted those rights didn’t “apply to (Person) for much of his life, and he pursued repairing the inequalities under which he grew up.”

He said Person didn’t keep “grudges for the violence that had been committed against him.”

Once at a book signing for his memoir in 2021 in Alabama, Person met the daughter of a man who beat him with a pipe in Birmingham, Ala., when he was working on transportation desegregation, said Rooker.

He said the woman came to apologize to Person.

“Charles and the woman hugged,” said Rooker of the encounter. “He thanked her and became emotional. Across the 60 years since his beatings, no one had ever apologized to him.”

Rooker said people can learn from Person’s life “kindness, optimism, helpfulness and generosity of spirit.”

They can also learn from Person “that they can make a significant difference in the lives of others,” said Rooker.

“No matter their background or station in life, people can advance the progress of our country toward greater equality, dignity, inclusiveness and justice,” said Rooker. “He would put it this way: When your bus of opportunity to improve America pulls up and opens its door for you, board it. No matter the risk. No matter the cost.”