Hank Thomas

Hank Thomas
Born
Henry James Thomas

(1941-08-29) August 29, 1941 (age 83)
Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
Occupation(s)Civil rights activist, entrepreneur
Children2

Henry "Hank" James Thomas (born August 29, 1941) is an African American civil rights activist and entrepreneur. Thomas was one of the original 13 Freedom Riders who traveled on Greyhound and Trailways buses through the South in 1961 to protest racial segregation, holding demonstrations at bus stops along the way.[1]

Thomas' role in the Civil Rights Movement continued as he became one of the founders of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and participated in multiple Freedom Rides. In 1965, 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 International Civil Rights Walk of Fame at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site.[2]

  1. ^ "Hank Thomas" (PDF). Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  2. ^ "Henry James Thomas". National Park Service. Retrieved 16 May 2017.