The Freedom Riders traveled throughout the southern United States in the 1960s to enforce federal laws against segregation in transportation. Despite facing violence and resistance, their nonviolent strategy inspired others to join their cause. The group was diverse and consisted of individuals from various backgrounds who wanted to end discrimination.
During the 1960s, several key pieces of legislation were implemented to end racial segregation. The laws stipulated that segregation was illegal in restaurants and waiting rooms located in bus terminals that crossed state lines. The US Supreme Court ruled that it was illegal to discriminate against or segregate passengers in bus terminals that crossed state lines because it violated interstate commerce laws. The Freedom Riders wanted to make sure the legislation was properly implemented and adopted by the transportation industry throughout the South. To validate the legislation, the runners traveled throughout the southern United States.
Despite the efforts of the US Supreme Court to end segregation in the 1950s and 1960s, Jim Crow laws still governed many Southern-based transportation companies. Many of these companies have still attempted to enforce passenger segregation. The Freedom Riders attempted to enforce federal laws through protests and boycotts. The Freedom Riders play an integral role in civil rights history and were able to transform the civil rights movement through their boycotts.
When the Freedom Riders initially began their campaign in North Carolina and Virginia, they met little opposition. As their campaign went further south, hostility increased. It is in South Carolina that the beatings begin. Some Freedom buses were set on fire by angry Southerners, while other Southerners tried to protect them. Unfortunately, the Freedom Riders have often been met with violence. Unfortunately, the police and local authorities often refused to intervene. Although the runners met stubborn resistance and violence, they chose to adopt a nonviolent strategy.
Numerous photographers and journalists who created reports on the Freedom Riders for an international audience captured the initial backlash against the Riders. The various news stories inspired hundreds of other Americans to create more Freedom Rides throughout the Deep South. Eventually, the Freedom Rides grew in popularity and diversity.
The Freedom Riders were a remarkably diverse group of people. They consisted of priests of various denominations, teachers, students, novelists, members of the military, and individuals from numerous other backgrounds. Even though they were of different ages, many of the riders were students. A Freedom Ride that took place through Jackson, Mississippi was called a “pilgrimage of prayer” and was staffed entirely by Episcopal ministers. The runners were black and white Americans who had a strong desire to end segregation and discrimination.
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