Variety Channel

On The Road to Freedom

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In light of our nation\'s historic election of President Barack Obama as the first African-American President, and in honor of Black History Month and the Civil Rights movement, Travel\'n On will present relevant thematic shows during the month of February.






Traveln On will travel along The Road To Freedom with author and former civil rights activist Charlie Cobb as he introduces us to the places of the movement and the personalities who made those places historically relevant. Then meet fellow travelers Scott Hartblay and Christine Bischoff as they recount their independent journeys along the civil rights trail through Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana.

Episode Segments

On The Road To Freedom with Charles Cobb

Author and activist Charles E. Cobb Jr. tells Ian and Tonya about his book, and why he felt it was important to inform people about the locations involved on the civil rights road to freedom. Also, with all these important moments in black history taking place, such as the inauguration of President Obama, learn what they mean to someone who was involved in the early days of the Civil Rights Movement.

Charles Cobb Part Two

Charles talks about the importance of bringing the stops on the road to freedom to the attention of more people, the need for more historical markers, and what we can learn from visiting some of the places where violence occurred during the early days of the Civil Rights Movement.

Traveling the Freedom Road

Scott Hartblay and Christine Bischoff talk about their travels through Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana along the civil rights trail. They explain why they decided to take the journey, some of their stops along the way, and how the trip transformed their views.

Guest(s) Appearing on this Episode

Christine Bischoff

Christine is an attorney with the US Department of Education. She was formerly the National Economic Empowerment Policy Manager for the NAACP National Headquarters in Baltimore, Md. She grew up in Summersville, West Virginia, a rural \"one stoplight\" town. After graduating from Wake Forest University with a double major in anthropology and health/exercise science, she studied cultural anthropology in Nepal before starting law school at Wake Forest. During law school, she helped distribute proceeds from the Master Tobacco Settlement in Kansas, studied international environmental law in Costa Rica, and researched individuals appointed to the federal judiciary in Washington, D.C. A domestic policy concentrator, Christine interned with LMI Government Consulting in Washington, D.C. and did a work-study with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in New York, N.Y.

Charles E. Cobb

Charles E. Cobb Jr. originated the \"Freedom School\" proposal that became a crucial part of the 1964 Mississippi Summer Project. A founding member of the Nnational Association of Black Journalists, Cobb has reported for WHUR Radio in Washington, D.C.; NPR; PBS\'s Frontline; and National Geographic. Cobb is a senior writer for AllAfrica.com.



Photograph by John Abromowski

Scott Hartblay

Scott Hartblay has experience in school social work and working in various parts of the mental health system. His interests include international social work, group work, the development of values and ethics in social work students, and the use of literature and art in the teaching of social work practice. He has taught in Northern Ireland and Poland, presented at international social work conferences, and regularly leads students on educational trips to Ireland and Poland.

Friday • March 20

CST 9:11 | EST 10:11 | MST 8:11 | PST 7:11 | GMT 6:11

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