Ball State University Students Turn Retired Bus Into Civil Rights Museum

Ball State University Students Turn Retired Bus Into Civil Rights Museum


A group of students from Ball State University is transforming a retired city bus into a museum in east central Indiana. The bus is expected to be completed by 2016, and will celebrate MLK day celebrations. The museum is being created for people to explore and learn more about the culture and history of civil rights. The bus has been in the making for ten years. Beth Messner, an associate professor of communications at Ball State and member of Muncie’s non-profit Martin Luther King Dream Team said, “So much of the work and fundraising so far has focused on getting the bus back out on the road.”

[RELATED: The History of the Civil Rights Movement]

During the upcoming fall, Messner along with fourteen other students invented the exhibit. Visitors will learn about many civil rights leaders such as Vivian Conley and Johnny Wilson. The Freedom Bus project is sponsored by Ball State, Muncie’s Martin Luther King Dream Team, the Muncie Human Rights Commission, Muncie Indiana Transit System (MITS), the city of Muncie, the university’s Center for Peace and Conflict Resolution.

Watch a full video of the project here.


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