Freedom Rides

Freedom Rides

African Americans and Whites riding buses together through the segregated South in 1961 to protest segregated bus terminals.

CORE

Congress of Racial Equality, an organization that led the Civil Rights Movement's campaigns in the early 1960s.

Greyhound

The first bus used in the Freedom Rides, which went to Anniston, Alabama and was attacked by a white mob.

Birmingham

The second bus used in the Freedom Rides, which also faced violence and beatings in Birmingham, Alabama.

Bull Connor

Birmingham Public Safety Commissioner who refused to provide police protection for the Freedom Riders, demonstrating the disregard for people of color during that time.

Federal Government

The government recognized and supported the Freedom Rides, working with the state to set up another ride.

Montgomery

The destination of the third Freedom Ride bus, which was attacked after the police escort left.

MLK

Martin Luther King Jr., who made a speech supporting the Freedom Rides and advocating for peaceful resistance against unjust laws.

Individualism

The belief that individuals have a responsibility to stand up to the government, even if it means breaking laws, as demonstrated by the Freedom Riders.

Jim Crow Laws

The laws that the Freedom Riders broke, specifically the 1955 Public Carrier Statute that called for segregation on public transportation.