William E. Harbour was a freedom rider who participated in the civil rights movements. He was considered to be one of the eight children along with: John Lewis, William Barbee, Paul Brooks, Charles Butler, Allen Cason, Catherine Burks and Lucretia Collins. Earlier in the years, he was really close with John Lewis during the bus ride to jain- in rally in Rock Hill, SOuth Carolina.

Early Life and Education

William E. Harbour was born in Piedmont, Alabama. He was born in a typical southern black family. He was admitted to Tennessee State University in 1960. He was the first in his family to Upon entering the University, he joined he Student Central Committee of the Nashville Christian Leadership Council.

Civil Right movements

While at the University, he participated in minor Civil disobedience and travelled to Rock Hill, SC and served jail time with nine other students imprisoned after a lunch counter sit-in. "He participated in sit-in, stand-in, picketing and marching activities as a function of the civil rights movement." He joined with the eight blacks:John Lewis, William Barbee, Paul Brooks, Charles Butler, Allen Cason, Catherine Burks and Lucretia Collins. and two whites: Jim Zwerg and Salynn McCollum. He first participated in the "May 17 through May 21 Freedom Ride (US)

Freedom ride

Freedom Riders were civil rights activists who rode interstate buses into the segregated southern United States to test the United States Supreme Court decisions Boynton v. Virginia and Morgan v. Virginia...

from Nashville, Tennessee to Montgomery, Alabama" where he was arrested for the first time. "on May 28, 1961 after he rode a Greyhound bus from Nashville, Tennessee, via Memphis, Tennessee, to Jackson, Mississippi", he was arrested for the second time and was imprisoned for 30 days. The imprisonment not only made the Freedom Riders stronger but it gave them publicity and inspired a lot more people to join them. He was the first person to exit the bus that arrived in Montgomery Greyhound Bus Station where he met up with a mob that created riots. He survived the riot but upon returning back to Tennessee, he along with 14 other students were expelled from Tennessee State University.

After the Freedom Ride

After being expelled from Tennessee State University, his mother didn't want him home, therefore, he stayed away from home with only few visits for five years. After the Freedom Ride, he taught school for several years and was employed by the United States Army and was a "civilian federal employee" in the Army base. " He is an active alumnus of the university and has a scholarship sponsored by the Atlanta Alumni Association named The William E. Harbour Academic Scholarship."