<p>Bob Zellner brings to life the victories, struggles and heartbreaks of the Civil Rights era in a way that empowers and instructs audiences and the modern-day movement. </p><p>Bob is one of the most influential leaders in the Civil Rights Movement, from the 1960s to today. The son and grandson of Ku Klux Klan members, he risked his life – and nearly lost it – many times in the fight to achieve The Second Emancipation. As an organizer of The Freedom Rides of 1961 and the first white southerner to serve as field secretary for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, he worked alongside Martin Luther King, Jr., John Lewis, Rosa Parks and many other civil rights leaders. Famous for battles with the KKK, segregationist lynch mobs, and violent police, he is now the individual that a new generation turns to with questions on the racial, historical and cultural assumptions on which they were raised, as they ask themselves, "What is my place in this struggle?"</p><p>Bob captivates audiences with the untold stories of the Civil Rights Movement and his dedication to fighting for the rights of others. Drawing on decades of experience guiding the movement and his ongoing active role, he presents a modern-day message for combating deep-seated racism, discrimination and prejudice and sparking widespread social change. The highly anticipated film <i>Son of the South</i>—based on Bob's autobiography <i>The Wrong Side of Murder Creek</i> and executive produced by Spike Lee—was released in 2021 starring Lucas Till as Bob Zellner.</p>
Prominent Civil Rights Activist, Freedom Rider and Author of <i>The Wrong Side of Murder Creek: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement</i>
<ul><li><strong>50th Anniversary of the Freedom Rides</strong></li><li>Prominent activist Bob Zellner was at the scene more than 50 years ago for most of the key milestones of the civil rights movement, putting his life on the line and taking notes. When the 50th anniversary of the Freedom Rides was celebrated on the Oprah Winfrey Show, Zellner was there to assist Winfrey's producers with research and interviews in Alabama and appeared on the program with his fellow riders. These events were also documented in Stanley Nelson's documentary Freedom Riders, which was shown on PBS. Whenever national attention is drawn to these historic events of the early 60's, Zellner brings these events to life and applies the lessons learned to current events.</li><li><strong>Imagining A Progressive South: America’s Third Reconstruction</strong></li><li>The current struggle in the US is, in fact, a Third Reconstruction. Our 19th century American Civil War never ended because the first Reconstruction, featuring fusion politics between poor whites and freed slaves, was overturned by violence with the acquiescence of the Federal government. The South’s second Reconstruction – the civil rights movement of the 50s and 60s, was also overturned by white vigilante violence. Extremist have worked for 50 years to overturn the accomplishments of that movement. After 1965 we never dreamed that women’s rights, the right to vote, and labor rights would be challenged again. Currently, all the rights won during the civil rights movement, including the 1965 Voting Rights Act, are systematically being destroyed. The current Moral Mondays Movement is leading the Third Reconstruction and they hope for success as they battle oppression and injustice at every level.</li></ul>