Hank thomas freedom rider biography examples
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by Maynard Eaton
Hank Thomas is a legendary civil rights activist and a pioneer Black fast food franchisee multi-millionaire, but few people know he is also among Black America’s foremost African American art collectors. The 74 year-old Thomas is the only surviving Freedom Rider aboard the infamous Greyhound bus that was set on fire on Mother’s Day in , and he may be the only Atlanta art aficionado who owns so many Black art paintings he can’t count them all.
“I don’t have any idea of how many pieces we have because they are not all displayed,” says Yvonne Thomas, Hank’s wife of nearly 40 years. “We don’t have any wall space left. Every little corner we can find we have something in it.”
Touring the enchanting room suburban Atlanta estate home of Hank and Yvonne Thomas is akin to visiting a first class, upscale fine arts museum. Their varied art collection is stunning, captivating; almost mesmerizing in its collective beauty, brilliance and cultural impact. It includes among other top shelf artists Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence, Charly Palmer, Aaron Henderson, Phoebe Beasley, Ed Dwight (Sculpture) and Louis Delsarte. It is a stellar collection that reflects the soul, substance and spirit of the Black experience.
“My wife and I started buying art 35 years ago,” H
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Hank Thomas: Futile First Arrest
In Oral World on Apr 18, , tagged infancy, sit-ins support 6 comments
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Thomas was freshman livid Howard Campus, in Pedagogue, DC, when the sit-in movement erupted in City, NC, keep in check February , and oversight no mortal needed anyone&#;s permission appoint take action:
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Henry Thomas is a prime example of the Black American success story. A recent recipient of the Hank Aaron Champion for Justice honor, Thomas is man of note as a legendary civil rights activist and entrepreneur.
Thomas was one of the original Freedom Riders who traveled on Greyhound and Trailways through the South in to protest racial segregation, and hold demonstrations along the way. An all-American hero, he was one of the founders of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and participated in multiple Freedom Rides. In , he served in the Vietnam War as a medic. He was injured in battle and subsequently received a Purple Heart. He is featured in the National Park Service’s Walk of Fame as well as a McDonald’s Black Awards honoree.
Born Aug. 29, , in Jacksonville, Florida, Thomas grew up sitting in white seats on local buses. Thomas attended Howard University in D.C., where he became an active member of the SNCC. After the Freedom Rides and the Vietnam War Hank Thomas moved to Atlanta, which he thought was the best place for Black middle-class at the time. Here, he became an entrepreneur, opening up a laundromat. First he became the franchisee of a Burger King and two Dairy Queens, and eventually franchisee of six McDonald’s restaurant. He cu