who were the 13 freedom riders

Who were the Freedom Riders and what was their goal?

Jul 19, 2020 · The original Freedom Riders were 13 Black and white men and women of various ages from across the United States. Raymond Arsenault, a Civil Rights historian and the author “ Freedom Riders: 1961...

Who were the core Freedom Riders?

Apr 03, 2021 · Who were the 13 original Freedom Riders? Led by CORE Director James Farmer, 13 young riders (seven black, six white, including but not limited to John Lewis (21), Genevieve Hughes (28), Mae Frances Moultrie, Joseph Perkins, Charles Person (18), Ivor Moore, William E. Harbour (19), Joan Trumpauer Mullholland (19), and Ed Blankenheim).

What are some facts about Freedom Riders?

Nov 15, 2021 · What is 10 names of female freedom fighters? 10 Forgotten Women Freedom Fighters of India. Matangini Hazra. Source: www.haribhoomi.com. Kanaklata Barua. Kanaklata Barua is also known as Birbala. Aruna Asaf Ali. She is popularly known as ‘The Grand Old Lady’ of the Independence Movement. Bhikaiji ...

What are the names of the Freedom Riders?

Aug 29, 2019 · In the beginning there were thirteen total freedom riders. The group consisted of seven African Americans, and six whites. John Lewis, Miller Green, Joan Pleune, Hellen O’Neal-McCray, and Alphonso Petway are just five of the thirteen original riders.

Who are the Freedom Riders and what did they do?

Freedom Riders were groups of white and African American civil rights activists who participated in Freedom Rides, bus trips through the American South in 1961 to protest segregated bus terminals.Jan 20, 2022

Who is the most famous Freedom Rider?

John R. Now the most famous of first Freedom Riders, Lewis is considered one of the “Big Six” leaders of the Civil Rights movement. He represented Georgia in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1987 to 2020. Not long after the group set out, Lewis, then 21, was attacked in Rock Hill, South Carolina.Jun 1, 2021

Are any of the original Freedom Riders still alive?

Lewis died in 2020 after a battle with cancer; Peck died in 1993. Of the first 13, only two are still alive — Person and Henry “Hank” James Thomas — both of whom live in Georgia.Apr 28, 2021

Who started the Freedom Riders movement?

James FarmerThe Freedom Rides, which began in May 1961 and ended late that year, were organized by CORE's national director, James Farmer. The mission of the rides was to test compliance with two Supreme Court rulings: Boynton v.Jul 18, 2020

Was sturdy Harris Real?

Reverend Sturdy Harris was a civil rights activist who led of a group of Freedom Riders in 1961.

Who was the youngest Freedom Rider?

Hezekiah WatkinsAt the age of 13, Hezekiah Watkins was thrown into the middle of the Civil Rights Movement, one of the greatest social issues in the history of our country. Pushing Forward is the untold story of Mississippi's youngest Freedom Rider.

Is Rosa Parks a Freedom Rider?

Technically, Rosa Parks was not part of the "Freedom Riders." Due to her stance on a Montgomery bus on December 1, 1955 and the subsequent... See full answer below.

What happened when the Freedom Riders got to Montgomery?

On May 20, 1961, Freedom Riders traveling by bus through the South to challenge segregation laws were brutally attacked by a white mob at the Greyhound Station in downtown Montgomery, Alabama.

How long did the Freedom Rides last?

The bus passengers assaulted that day were Freedom Riders, among the first of more than 400 volunteers who traveled throughout the South on regularly scheduled buses for seven months in 1961 to test a 1960 Supreme Court decision that declared segregated facilities for interstate passengers illegal.

Who organized the Freedom Riders?

the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE)During the spring of 1961, student activists from the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) launched the Freedom Rides to challenge segregation on interstate buses and bus terminals.

What was the Freedom Riders goal?

The Freedom Rides brought together civil rights activists who rode interstate buses from DC into the segregated South in 1961 to challenge the non-enforcement of the U.S. Supreme Court decisions that ruled that segregated public buses were unconstitutional.Jul 14, 2014

What finally ended the Freedom Rider movement?

What finally ended the freedom rider movement? The Interstate Commerce Commission declared it would uphold the Supreme Court's ban on segregated bus terminals. What happened when the first African American student was admitted to the University of Mississippi?

What did the Freedom Riders do in 1961?

Virginia (1960) Freedom Riders were civil rights activists who rode interstate buses into the segregated Southern United States in 1961 and subsequent years to challenge the non-enforcement of the United States Supreme Court decisions Morgan v. Virginia (1946) and Boynton v. Virginia (1960), which ruled that segregated public buses were ...

Who was the leader of the Freedom Ride?

In early August, SNCC staff members James Forman and Paul Brooks, with the support of Ella Baker, began planning a Freedom Ride in solidarity with Robert F. Williams . Williams was an extremely militant and controversial NAACP chapter president for Monroe, North Carolina. After making the public statement that he would "meet violence with violence," (since the federal government would not protect his community from racial attacks) he had been suspended by the NAACP national board over the objections of Williams' local membership. Williams continued his work against segregation however, but now had massive opposition in both black and white communities. He was also facing repeated attempts on his life because of it. Some SNCC staff members sympathized with the idea of armed self-defense, although many on the ride to Monroe saw this as an opportunity to prove the superiority of Gandhian nonviolence over the use of force. Forman was among those who was still support of Williams.

Why did the Kennedys call for a cooling off period?

The Kennedys called for a "cooling off period" and condemned the Rides as unpatriotic because they embarrassed the nation on the world stage at the height of the Cold War. James Farmer, head of CORE, responded to Kennedy saying, "We have been cooling off for 350 years, and if we cooled off any more, we'd be in a deep freeze." The Soviet Union criticized the United States for its racism and the attacks on the Riders.

How did the Freedom Rides affect the Civil Rights Movement?

The Freedom Rides, and the violent reactions they provoked, bolstered the credibility of the American Civil Rights Movement. They called national attention to the disregard for the federal law and the local violence used to enforce segregation in the southern United States.

When was the first Freedom Ride?

The first Freedom Ride left Washington, D.C. on May 4, 1961, and was scheduled to arrive in New Orleans on May 17. Boynton outlawed racial segregation in the restaurants and waiting rooms in terminals serving buses that crossed state lines.

Who was Tom Cook?

Tom Cook. Freedom Riders were civil rights activists who rode interstate buses into the segregated Southern United States in 1961 and subsequent years to challenge the non-enforcement of the United States Supreme Court decisions Morgan v. Virginia (1946) and Boynton v. Virginia (1960), which ruled that segregated public buses were unconstitutional.

What episode of Eyes on the Prize was about Freedom Riders?

The 1980s PBS series, Eyes on the Prize, had an episode, "Ain't Scared of Your Jails: 1960- 1961," which gave attention to the Freedom Riders. It included an interview with James Farmer.

Who was the leader of the Freedom Riders?

John R. Lewis (1940-2020) Now the most famous of first Freedom Riders, Lewis is considered one of the “Big Six” leaders of the Civil Rights movement. He represented Georgia in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1987 to 2020. Not long after the group set out, Lewis, then 21, was attacked in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

How many Freedom Riders were there in 1961?

Paving the way: Meet the 13 original Freedom Riders who changed travel in the South. In May 1961, 13 men and women boarded a bus in Washington, D.C., bound for New Orleans to celebrate the seventh anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision desegregating public schools.

When did the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision happen?

In May 1961 , 13 men and women boarded a bus in Washington, D.C., bound for New Orleans to celebrate the seventh anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision desegregating public schools.

Who was James Farmer?

Raised by a professor who taught divinity at Howard University, James Farmer Jr. was a pacifist who sought to achieve racial justice through nonviolent activism. Often a target of racial violence, Farmer helped to shape the Civil Rights Movement when he launched The Freedom Rides to challenge the efforts to block the desegregation of interstate busing.

How many people participated in the Freedom Rides?

They were beaten and jailed but their spirits were not broken. More than 400 people would eventually participate in the movement known as the Freedom Rides. These are the stories of the 13 people — students, a pastor and retired educators among them — who started it all.

Who was Genevieve Hughes?

Genevieve Hughes (1932-2012) One of the three women to participate in the early days of the Freedom Rides, Genevieve Hughes quit her job as a stockbroker to become the field secretary of CORE and civil rights activist.

How long was John Lewis in jail?

They were jailed for 60 days in Hawaii. He was 55 when he joined the Freedom Riders. Bigelow and former U.S. Rep. John Lewis were the first to face violence after attempting to integrate a whites-only waiting room in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Lewis was struck first as Bigelow stepped in between Lewis and his attackers.

Where did the Freedom Riders go in 1961?

On May 24, 1961, a group of Freedom Riders departed Montgomery for Jackson, Mississippi. There, several hundred supporters greeted the riders. However, those who attempted to use the whites-only facilities were arrested for trespassing and taken to the maximum-security penitentiary in Parchman, Mississippi.

What did the Freedom Riders do?

Freedom Riders were groups of white and African American civil rights activists who participated in Freedom Rides, bus trips through the American South in 1961 to protest segregated bus terminals. Freedom Riders tried to use “whites-only” restrooms and lunch counters at bus stations in Alabama, South Carolina and other Southern states.

When was the first Greyhound bus?

On May 14, 1961 , the Greyhound bus was the first to arrive in Anniston, Alabama. There, an angry mob of about 200 white people surrounded the bus, causing the driver to continue past the bus station. The mob followed the bus in automobiles, and when the tires on the bus blew out, someone threw a bomb into the bus.

Who was John Lewis?

John Lewis, one of the original group of 13 Freedom Riders, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in November 1986. Lewis, a Democrat, continued to represent Georgia's 5th Congressional District, which includes Atlanta, until his death in 2020.

What was the original plan of the Freedom Riders?

Their plan was to reach New Orleans, Louisiana, on May 17 to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision, which ruled that segregation of the nation’s public schools was unconstitutional.

What was the Board of Education decision?

Board of Education decision, which ruled that segregation of the nation’s public schools was unconstitutional. The group traveled through Virginia and North Carolina, drawing little public notice. The first violent incident occurred on May 12 in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

What happened to the Freedom Riders?

The violence toward the Freedom Riders was not quelled—rather, the police abandoned the Greyhound bus just before it arrived at the Montgomery, Alabama, terminal, where a white mob attacked the riders with baseball bats and clubs as they disembarked. Attorney General Kennedy sent 600 federal marshals to the city to stop the violence.

Why were the Freedom Riders arrested?

The Freedom Riders had traveled from Montgomery into Mississippi and were met with immediate arrests in an attempt to prevent violence comparable to the rioting in Alabama on previous days. The newspaper wrote:

Who claimed that there would be no special police measures taken to ensure the safety of the Freedom Riders?

The aforementioned commissioner, L. B. Sullivan, claimed that there would be no special police measures taken to ensure the safety of the Freedom Riders. At this point, they were hiding in secret locations. L. B. Sullivan stated that:

What was the main goal of the Freedom Riders?

Starting in May 1961, and led by the director of CORE James Farmer, the main aim of the Freedom Riders was to test the compliance with two Supreme Court Rulings: Boynton v. Virginia , which claimed that the segregation of lunch counters, waiting rooms and bathrooms was unconstitutional. Morgan v. Virginia, which stated that it was unconstitutional ...

How many men and women defied segregation?

Thirteen men and women made history when they courageously defied the segregation norms of the United States in 1961, during the Civil Rights Movement. Their efforts would pave the way for the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as well as the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which were crucial acts passed to end legal segregation in the United States.

What was the significance of Morgan v. Virginia?

Morgan v. Virginia, which stated that it was unconstitutional to implement and enforce segregation on interstate trains and buses. Among the riders was representative John Lewis, then aged 21, who would become a crucial figure in the civil rights movement and American politics.

Did the Freedom Riders get special protection?

As previously mentioned, Commissioner L. B. Sullivan had claimed that there was going to be no special protection given to the Freedom Riders. However, this seems to go against what had been advised by Robert F. Kennedy:

How old was John Lewis when he joined the Freedom Riders?

By the time 19-year-old John Lewis joined the 1961 CORE Freedom ride, he already had five arrests under his belt as a veteran of the Nashville Student Movement. The son of hardscrabble tenant farmers from Pike County, AL, he attended American Baptist Theological Seminary in Nashville, TN where he was deeply influenced by Rev. Kelly Miller Smith and Rev. James Lawson.#N#On May 10, several days before the Riders crossed into Alabama, Lewis had left the CORE Ride to interview for a fellowship. By chance, he was in Nashville on May 14 when the news broke of the violent bus burning in Anniston, AL and the riot at theBirmingham Trailways Bus Station. Lewis helped to convince his friends and mentors from the Nashville Student Movement to get involved. He rode to Birmingham with the Nashville cohort, endured the angry mob in Montgomery, and was arrested in Jackson and served jail time at Mississippi's Parchman State Prison Farm.#N#Lewis would become the best-known among the youthful Freedom Riders, serving as chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), speaking at the 1963 March on Washington, and playing a pivotal role in the 1965 Selma — Montgomery March. In 1986, John Lewis was elected to represent Georgia in the U.S. House of Representatives where he currently is serving his 12th term.

Who was the leader of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s?

Thirty-two-year-old Rev. James Lawson introduced the principles of Gandhian nonviolence to many future leaders of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. Born in western Pennsylvania and raised in Ohio, he spent a year in prison as a conscientious objector during the Korean War, as well as three years as a Methodist missionary in India, where he was deeply influenced by the philosophy and techniques of nonviolent resistance developed by Mohandas Gandhi and his followers.#N#While enrolled as a divinity student at Oberlin College, Lawson met Martin Luther King, Jr., who urged Lawson to postpone his studies and take an active role in the Civil Rights Movement. "We don't have anyone like you," King told him.#N#Following King's advice, Lawson headed South as a field secretary for the Fellowship of Reconciliation. In Nashville, TN, he helped organize the Nashville Student Movement's successful sit-in campaign of 1960 and was expelled from Vanderbilt University School of Divinity as a result. He trained Diane Nash; Bernard Lafayette, John Lewis and many others through his famous workshops on the tactics of nonviolent direct action.#N#When the original CORE Freedom Ride stalled in Birmingham, AL, Lawson urged the Nashville Student Movement to continue the Freedom Rides. He conducted workshops on nonviolent resistance while the Freedom Riders spent several days holed up in the Montgomery, AL home of Dr. Richard Harris. During an impromptu press conference on the National Guard-escorted bus that traveled from Montgomery to Jackson, MS, he told reporters that the Freedom Riders "would rather risk violence and be able to travel like ordinary passengers" than rely on armed guards who did not understand their philosophy of combating "violence and hate" by "absorbing it without returning it in kind."#N#In 1968, Lawson chaired the strike committee for sanitation workers in Memphis, TN. At Lawson's request, Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke to the striking workers on the day before his assassination. In 1974, Lawson moved to Los Angeles to lead Holman United Methodist Church where he served as pastor for 25 years before retiring in 1999. Throughout his career and into retirement, he has remained active in various human rights advocacy campaigns, including immigrant rights and opposition to war and militarism. In recent years he has been a distinguished visiting professor at Vanderbilt University.

Why was Abernathy arrested?

On May 25, Abernathy was arrested on breach of peace charges after escorting William Sloane Coffin's Connecticut Freedom Ride to the Montgomery Greyhound Bus Terminal, neither the first nor the last instance of civil disobedience in a lifetime of activism.

What did Kwame Ture die of?

He died in Conakry, Guinea in 1998 of prostate cancer at the age of 57.

Where did John F. Kennedy graduate from?

The son of a Brooklyn delicatessen owner, he graduated from the University of Chicago (1950) and Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Theology. After successfully completing the Freedom Ride to Tallahassee, the Interfaith Riders had planned to fly home.

What was James Peck's role in the Fellowship of Reconciliation?

Radical journalist and pacifist James Peck was the only individual to participate in both the Fellowship of Reconciliation's 1947 Journey of Reconciliation and the 1961 CORE Freedom Ride.#N#Born into the family of a wealthy clothing wholesaler in 1914, Peck was a social outsider at Choate, an elite Connecticut prep school, in part because his family had only recently converted from Judaism to Episcopalianism. At Harvard he quickly gained a reputation as a campus radical, shocking his classmates by bringing a black date to the freshman dance. Peck dropped out after the end of his freshman year, spending several years as an expatriate in Europe and working as a merchant seaman. Returning to the United States in 1940, Peck devoted himself to organizing work and journalism on behalf of pacifist and social justice causes. He spent almost three years in federal prison during World War II as a conscientious objector.#N#After his release from prison in 1945, he rededicated himself to pacifism and militant trade unionism. In the late 1940s, Peck became increasingly involved in issues of racial justice, joining the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) as a volunteer.#N#On May 14, Peck assumed de facto leadership of the 1961 CORE Freedom Ride after James Farmer returned to Washington for his father's funeral. Peck sustained heavy injuries to the face and head during the Ku Klux Klan riot at the Birmingham Trailways Bus Station.#N#It took more than an hour for Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth to find an ambulance willing to take Peck to the all-white Carraway Methodist Hospital, where staff refused to treat him. Peck was finally able to see a doctor at Jefferson Hillman Hospital, where he received 53 stitches. Undeterred by his injuries, he urged the riders to continue.#N#"If he could be beaten as he was and still go on, we certainly felt we could go on," says Genevieve Hughes in Freedom Riders .#N#In 1976, Peck, along with Walter Bergman, filed a lawsuit against the FBI, seeking $100,000 in damages for the lasting injuries he sustained as a result of the riot, in which paid FBI informant Gary Thomas Rowe Jr. was an active participant. In 1983, he was awarded a partial settlement of $25,000.#N#James Peck passed away in 1993.

Where did Bernard Lafayette live?

Twenty-year-old Bernard Lafayette hailed from Tampa, FL and was enrolled as an undergraduate at Nashville's American Baptist Theological Seminary. A veteran of the Nashville sit-ins, Lafayette had already staged a successful impromptu Freedom Ride with his close friend and fellow student activist John Lewis in 1959, while traveling home for Christmas break, when they decided to exercise their rights as interstate passengers by sitting in the front of a bus from Nashville, TN to Birmingham, AL.#N#As part of the May 17 Nashville Student Movement Ride, Lafayette endured jail time in Birmingham, riots and firebombings in Montgomery, AL, an arrest in Jackson, MS, and jail time at Parchman State Prison Farm during June 1961.#N#After the end of the Freedom Riders campaign, he worked on voting rights and helped to coordinate the 1968 Poor Peoples Campaign. He completed a doctorate in Education at Harvard University and for several years was the Director of the Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies at the University of Rhode Island. He currently teaches at Emory University and conducts nonviolent workshops worldwide.

Overview

History

Commemorations and monument

Cultural depictions

Notable Freedom Riders

See also

Notes

Bibliography