Lecture Notes: Freedom Riders - Facts, Timeline & Significance

Overview

• Freedom Riders were groups of white and African American civil rights activists.
• They protested against segregated bus terminals through bus trips in the American South in 1961.
• Targeted to use whites-only facilities and faced violence and arrests.
• Drew international attention to the civil rights movement.

Key Events and Context

Civil Rights Activists Test Supreme Court Decision

• 1947 Journey of Reconciliation: Modeled by Congress of Racial Equality (CORE).
• Supreme Court Decisions:
  • 1946: Morgan v. Virginia - Ruled segregated bus seating unconstitutional.
  • 1960: Boynton v. Virginia - Declared segregation of interstate transportation facilities unconstitutional.
• Difference in 1961: Inclusion of women.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

• 382-day boycott by African-Americans in Montgomery, Alabama.
• Key figures: Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks.
• Significant turning point in civil rights movement.

John Lewis and the Original Freedom Ride

• Began May 4, 1961, from Washington, D.C., with a group of 13 riders.
• Route: Through Virginia, North Carolina, and aimed to reach New Orleans.
• Notable Incident: May 12 in Rock Hill, South Carolina, led to violent attacks.

Bloodshed in Alabama

• May 14, 1961: Greyhound bus attacked in Anniston, Alabama.
• Mob actions: Bus tires blown, bus bombed, passengers beaten.
• Trailways bus: Similar violence in Birmingham.
• International attention drawn by media coverage.

Federal Intervention

• U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy involved.
• Federal Marshals: Dispatched to Montgomery to stop violence.
• Martial law declared by Alabama Governor to restore order.

Kennedy's Response and Cooling Off Period

• Call for a "cooling off" period due to violence in Mississippi and Alabama.
• Freedom Riders arrested in Mississippi for using whites-only facilities.
• Legal support by NAACP; Supreme Court eventually overturned convictions.

Desegregating Travel

• Continued Freedom Rides led to increased attention.
• Interstate Commerce Commission banned segregation in interstate transit terminals by fall 1961.

Key Figures

• John Lewis: Elected to U.S. House of Representatives, civil rights leader.
• Diane Nash: Organized subsequent rides after original rides halted.
• Robert F. Kennedy: Advocated for calm and legal proceedings.

Significance

• Demonstrated the power of nonviolent protest and civil disobedience.
• Paved the way for subsequent civil rights actions and legislation.
• Highlighted ongoing issues of racial segregation and inequality in the U.S.