More than 100 high school students walk out in protest of Brenda Travis' expulsion for activism

Brenda Travis was expelled from high school after serving time in jail for her bus station demonstration. Her Mississippi classmates walked out in support. The students wanted an end to racial violence, segregation and barriers to voting. Their activism helped rally young people across the state to challenge the system.

Brenda Travis tells the story of seeing her classmates surround her, sharing the she felt then that she "wasn't alone." They marched to City Hall, where they were arrested by police carrying billy clubs.

Episode transcript available here.

The “Seven Days of 1961” podcast features stories of resistance, told by the people who lived it. Learn more about the heroic civil rights activists and the danger they faced at 7daysof1961.usatoday.com.