I first met Myrlie Evers-Williams on May 14th, 1999. (see my 12/5/11 post)
Ten (10) years later, on November 7th, 2009 at the Nature of Words Author Dinner held at the High Desert Museum, where Myrlie was the guest speaker, we would meet again.
It was at this event that I invited Myrlie to be my guest on my talk show, Open Air. She graciously accepted my offer. This was a dream come true for me! Not only was I going to be interviewing the most courageous woman I know, but I was also going to be able to express to her how, 10 yrs prior, she had touched my life.
During our many phone conversations leading up to our interview, Myrlie asked if I had read the book "The Help". Myrlie stated that she would love to talk with the author, Kathryn Stockett. She said she would love to 'get in her mind'. The reference to the brutal murder of Myrlie's husband, Medgar Evers, was very accurate and Myrlie was very impressed and honored.
Well...that was all I needed to hear. Myrlie wanted to talk with Kathryn Stockett and I was going to make it happen. And I did.
Initially, I emailed Ms. Stockett's publicist telling her of Myrlie's praise for The Help and asked if Ms. Stockett would be available to join us for an interview. I made the mistake of assuming that the publicist would inform Ms. Stockett that Myrlie Evers-Williams had read her book and would like to talk with her. Wrong.
A rep for the publicist emailed the following response...
Dear Dawn,
Thank you so much for requesting an interview with Kathryn Stockett for Open Air. It sounds like
a wonderful opportunity. Unfortunately, Ms. Stockett is at work on her second novel and we are
not setting up interviews for her at this time. Thank you again for sending along the request and if
anything changes, I'll be sure to let you know!
I was NOT happy with that response and I was NOT goin to go away quietly! So..I did what I do best.I did my research, utilized my resources and I called Kathryn Stockett at her home in Atlanta, Georgia.
When Ms.Stockett answered the phone I introduced myself and explained the reason for my call. Ms.Stockett was almost speechless when I told her that Myrlie Evers-Williams had read her book, loved it and would like to meet her (via the phone). Ms.Stockett said she would love to do the interview and for me to call her publicist the next day and have them work with me on the dates for the interview.
On April 7th, 2010, Kathryn Stockett, Author of The Help and Myrlie Evers-Williams met for the first time on my show, Open Air w/ Dawn Newton.
Listen to Kathryn Stockett and Myrlie Evers-Williams
here...
For many of you, this may be the first time you're even reading about the Freedom Rides. I, myself, first became aware of the Freedom Rides just weeks prior to my interview with Freedom Riders, Carol Ruth Silver and Claude Albert Liggins on January 22nd, 2012. 
In the spring and summer of 1961, more than 400 people came together to travel into the Deep South, defying Jim Crow laws and putting their welfare-even their lives-on the line in support of racial justice. Carol Ruth Silver and Claude Albert Liggins were among those who stepped forward to join the Freedom Riders. Theirs is a story of sacrifice, terror and -ultimately- triumph. 
