Freedom Riders
Facts for kids: The names of the original Freedom Riders May 4, 1961
- May 17, 1961
The 1961 Freedom Riders were inspired by the Journey
of Reconciliation, made by civil rights activists in 1947. Of the
eighteen original Freedom Riders, two
were women, six were white, and twelve were black. The names, residences,
ages, race and occupations of the Freedom Riders who traveled from
May 4, 1961 - May 17, 1961 were as follows:
NAMES |
SEX |
RESIDENCE |
RACE |
AGE |
OCCUPATIONS OF FREEDOM RIDERS |
Al Bigelow |
M |
Cos Cob, Connecticut |
W |
55 |
Retired Naval Officer |
B.Elton Cox |
M |
High Point, North
Carolina |
B |
29 |
Minister, NAACP |
Charles Person |
M |
Atlanta, Georgia |
B |
18 |
Student at Morehouse
College |
Ed Blankenheim |
M |
Tucson, Arizona |
W |
27 |
Carpenter |
Frances Bergman |
F |
Detroit, Michigan |
W |
57 |
Retired Teacher |
Genevieve Hughes |
F |
Washington, DC |
W |
28 |
CORE field secretary |
Hank Thomas |
M |
St. Augustine,
Florida |
B |
19 |
Student at Howard
University |
Herman Harris |
M |
Englewood, New Jersey |
B |
21 |
Student at Morris
College |
Ike Reynolds |
M |
Detroit, Michigan |
B |
27 |
CORE field secretary |
Ivor Moore |
M |
Bronx, NY |
B |
19 |
Student at Morris
College |
James Farmer |
M |
New York, NY |
B |
41 |
National Director of
CORE |
Jim Peck |
M |
New York, NY |
W |
46 |
Editor at CORE |
Jimmy McDonald |
M |
New York, NY |
B |
29 |
CORE volunteer |
John Lewis |
M |
Troy, Alabama |
B |
21 |
Student at American
Baptist Theological Seminary |
Joseph Perkins |
M |
Owensboro, Kentucky |
B |
27 |
CORE field secretary |
Mae Frances Moultrie |
M |
Sumter, South
Carolina |
B |
24 |
Student at Morris
College |
Robert Griffin |
M |
Tampa, Florida |
B |
20 |
Student at Johnson C.
Smith University |
Walter Bergman |
M |
Detroit, Michigan |
W |
61 |
Retired Professor |
Freedom Riders May 4, 1961 - May 17, 1961 |
Freedom Riders
Facts for kids
The following fact
sheet contains interesting facts and information on Freedom Riders.
Freedom Riders
Facts for kids
Freedom Riders
Facts - 1:
In the
Southern states
the
discriminatory
Black
Codes and segregation policies of the
Jim Crow
Laws
restricted the rights of African
Americans,
denying the right to vote and travel freely. These laws segregated
whites and blacks in transport, rest rooms, restaurants, education
and housing
Freedom Riders
Facts -
2: The Civil Rights
Movement gained momentum in the mid 1950's and early
1960's and
people were ready to protest and
protect the rights of African American citizens.
Freedom Riders
Facts - 3:
The Interstate Commerce Act
of 1887 established the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC)
as the first true federal regulatory agency for transport.
On November 7, 1955 the Interstate Commerce
Commission (ICC) banned bus segregation in interstate travel in
Sarah Keys v. Carolina Coach Company legal case.
Freedom Riders
Facts - 4: On December 5, 1960, in the
legal case of Boynton v. Virginia, the Supreme Court held that
racial segregation in bus terminals was illegal because this type of
segregation violated the Interstate Commerce Act.
Freedom Riders
Facts - 5: The combination of the
decisions in the Keys v. Carolina Coach and Boynton v. Virginia
(1960), effectively outlawed segregation on interstate buses and at
the terminals that serviced the buses.
Freedom Riders
Facts - 6: Racial integration
of transport became a serious subject for debate in the
Civil Rights activists and the decision was made to test
and challenge local laws that continued to enforce
segregation in seating or the facilities at bus
terminals.
Freedom Riders
Facts -
7: During the spring
of 1961, Civil Rights activists from the Congress of
Racial Equality (CORE) and the
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) launched the Freedom Rides
calling for volunteers to challenge segregation on
interstate buses and bus terminals. The decision was
made for Freedom Riders to ride on Greyhound and Trailways buses from Washington, D.C., to New Orleans,
Louisiana.
Freedom Riders
Facts - 8: The Freedom Riders
wanted to test whether they could sit wherever they
wanted, eat in integrated dining rooms and were able to
use integrated facilities such as rest rooms.
Freedom Riders
Facts -
9: Six white and
twelve black Freedom Riders left Washington, D.C. on May
4, 1961. Two of the riders were women. The oldest was 61
years old and the youngest was eighteen years old.
Freedom Riders
Facts - 10: The plan was to ride through Virginia, the
Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi to their final
destination of New Orleans, Louisiana. The Freedom Riders knew that
it was a dangerous mission.
Continued...
Freedom Riders
Facts for kids
Facts
about the Freedom Riders for kids
The following fact
sheet continues with facts about Freedom Riders.
Freedom Riders
Facts for kids
Freedom Riders
Facts - 11: A revival of the
Ku Klux
Klan (KKK) had emerged in the 1960's
opposition to the Civil Rights movement. The KKK advocated a strong
racist and anti-communist policy and had gained many new members in
the South who were opposed to racial integration. Members of the Ku
Klux Klan (KKK) often forged alliances with Southern police
departments and the officers of governor and were again allowed to
operate with impunity.
Freedom Riders
Facts - 12: The Freedom Riders passed
through Virginia without incident but when they reached the
Carolinas John Lewis, Genevieve Hughes and Al Bigelow were attacked
in Rock Hill, SC, and some were arrested in both Winnsboro SC and
Charlotte in NC. (John Lewis later led the first
Selma March, on March 7, 1965 and
became one of the "Big Six" leaders of the Civil Rights Movement).
Freedom Riders
Facts - 13: The Freedom Riders passed
through Georgia and the towns of Augusta, Athens and Atlanta without
incident and the journey progressed to Alabama.
Freedom Riders
Facts - 14: On May 14, 1961,
Mother’s Day, the Greyhound Bus carrying Freedom Riders
was attacked and fire-bombed by by members of the
Ku Klux Klan (KKK)
near Anniston, Alabama. SNCC student Hank Thomas was
beaten over the head with a baseball bat and others were
assaulted.
Freedom Riders
Facts - 15: The Trailways bus
arrived in Anniston, and the Freedom Riders were
attacked by another mob who board the bus. The Trailways
bus manages to escape Anniston and continues its journey
to Birmingham, Alabama.
Freedom Riders
Facts - 16: Police
Commissioner Eugene “Bull” Connor intended to bring the
ride to an end in Alabama and encouraged a KKK mob to
attack the Freedom Riders. The mob attacked them with
iron pipes, baseball bats and bicycle chains, Jim Peck
of CORE needed 53 stitches to his wounds.
Freedom Riders
Facts - 17: Eugene “Bull”
Connor believed he had achieved his goal. The next
destination of the journey was to be Montgomery,
Alabama, but Greyhound and Trailways drivers refused to
drive any bus carrying Freedom Riders. Attorney General
Robert Kennedy called for a “cooling off period” and the
original Freedom Ride had to be abandoned on May 17,
1961.
Freedom Riders
Facts - 18: Unable to proceed
to Montgomery, the CORE members decided to fly to New
Orleans to attend a rally and after many delays finally
arrived at New Orleans.
Freedom Riders
Facts - 19: Photographs and
media reports of the journey of the Freedom Riders, the
burning bus in Anniston and the mob violence in
Birmingham shocked the nation and the rest of the world.
Freedom Riders
Facts -
20: Undeterred by the violent events,
more Freedom Riders from CORE and SNCC arrived in
Montgomery. On May 24, 1961 twelve more Freedom Riders
board a Trailways bus bound for Jackson, Mississippi.
Freedom Riders
Facts -
21: When the Freedom
Riders arrived in Jackson and attempted to use
"white-only" lunch counters and restrooms they were
immediately arrested for Breach of Peace and Refusal to
Obey an Officer
Freedom Riders
Facts -
22: CORE,
SNCC, and
SCLC reject the "cooling off period" and form a Freedom
Riders Coordinating Committee to organize more rides.
The rides continue through the summer of 1961.
Freedom Riders
Facts - 23: The subject of
racial integration of transport and the Freedom Riders
was a matter of serious public and political debate and
on September 23, 1961 Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy
instructed the
Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC)
to issue new rules ending discrimination in interstate
travel.
Freedom Riders
Facts - 24: From November 1,
1961, all interstate buses were required to display a
certificate that reading: "Seating aboard this vehicle
is without regard to race, color, creed, or national
origin, by order of the Interstate Commerce Commission".
Freedom Riders
Facts for kids
Freedom Riders - President John
F Kennedy Video
The article on the Freedom Riders provides detailed facts and a summary of one of the important events during his presidential term in office. The John F Kennedy video will
give you additional important facts and dates his presidency.
The Freedom Riders
●
Interesting Facts about Freedom Riders for kids and schools
●
Summary of the Freedom Riders in US history
●
The Freedom Riders, a major
event in US history
●
John F Kennedy and the Freedom Riders
●
Fast, fun facts about the Freedom Riders
● The journey of the original Freedom
Riders
● John F Kennedy Presidency and
the Freedom Riders for schools,
homework, kids and children |