Iya Amibelle Olatunji mesmerized passengers with her stories during the stop at the Atlanta station on the Crescent. ©2015 Bob Carey (Sony a6000, Sony 24mm – 1/125, f1.8, iso 3200)

Great American Rail Adventure 2015

As I was in the last five hours of my adventure, I met one of the most unique people I had met on my three week trip. Iya Amibelle Olatunji  was in my coach as we entered the Atlanta station. She asked me to help her and then began to tell me how she had been on this same train years ago when she was part of the Civil Rights movement and had integrated the Crescent. She mesmerized passengers with her stories during the stop at the Atlanta station and was almost preaching to the passengers. She stood in the aisle while we were moving telling stories from her life.  She told me about her late husband who was the renowned African drummer Babatunde Olatunji. He had played drums with rock great Santana and helped produce a couple albums for Santana. A longtime civil rights activist, she was returning to New York after attending the 50th Remembrance March across the Selma bridge earlier that week.