As Black History Month continues, a White Plains resident is sharing firsthand memories from the civil rights movement - reminding others of the sacrifices made in the fight for equality.

Tom Bouyer now lives quietly on Saratoga Road, but in 1964, his life in Bessemer, Alabama was anything but peaceful. Bouyer says he participated in a sit-in at a segregated lunch counter on July 7 of that year. He recalls being violently attacked.

“They came out with bats and started beating us,” Bouyer said. “Blood all over my face. I did everything in my power to get out.”

Bouyer says one of his friends did not survive the incident, and no one was ever charged.

Through faith, he says he was able to heal, but recent events and images of social unrest bring back painful memories.

He says sharing these stories is critical, warning that history must never be forgotten.