BCRTA and Miami University Celebrate Freedom Summer Legacy with Commemorative Bus Wrap Highlighting Butler County’s Civil Rights History
November 10, 2025
The latest project recounting the civil rights legacy of the Freedom Summer of ’64 can be seen making its rounds across Butler County. A new Butler County Regional Transit Authority (BCTRA) bus wrap highlights the history of Freedom Summer. It commemorates the pivotal role played by the Western College for Women in the pursuit of voting rights.
“BCRTA is uniquely positioned to carry the stories of our community forward—literally,” said Matthew Dutkevicz, Executive Director of BCRTA. “Our buses travel throughout our community, and this project offers a powerful opportunity to showcase the achievements and resilience that have shaped our region’s history. We are honored to partner with Miami University to ensure that the story of Freedom Summer continues to inspire future generations.”
Members of the Miami University community can celebrate the Freedom Summer bus wrap during an event on Nov. 11 from 1-1:30 p.m. in Shriver Center’s Heritage Room. Jerome Conley, dean of University Libraries; Matthew Dutkevicz, BCRTA executive director; John Rizzo, director of Creative Strategy and Brand Experience for University Communications and Marketing; and Miami senior Edward Johnson will speak during the program.
Guests can also board the bus and view interior panels detailing the history of the Freedom Summer trainings. For two weeks in June 1964, 800 participants came to the Western College campus, which is now a part of Miami, and trained to register Black voters in the South.
“I’m hoping the entire university community can come together, celebrate, see how the bus connects to them, and learn more about it,” said Jacqueline Johnson, interim department head for the Walter Havighurst Special Collections and University Archives. “This really focuses on Ohio history. It’s important to use any mode of communication possible to educate people about what happened at Western College and how important it was to the nation.”
Miami’s Freedom Summer memorial on Western campus was dedicated in 2000 to honor the memories of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner, three civil rights workers who were murdered in Mississippi while registering Black voters. In 2018, the university established the Freedom Summer of ’64 Award, given to inaugural recipient U.S. Rep. John Lewis.
“It really helps us not forget our history,” Johnson said. “The bus goes all around Butler County. People who are driving by, walking by, biking by, or looking out a window will see the bus. That is the perfect power tool. People will see the bus and say, ‘What is Freedom Summer?’ They can use it as a catalyst to learn more.”
Johnson worked closely with Debbie Baker Spaeth, director of special projects in the Office of Alumni Relations; Shawn Cowan of BCRTA; and with University Communications and Marketing to provide the bus design. The bus made its debut in June as part of the Hamilton Juneteenth celebration.
The bus features an image of college students preparing to travel to Mississippi to register voters, volunteer at community centers, and teach in Freedom Schools.
