Freedom Riders

Freedom rides were set up by CORE to test whether the desegregation on public transport was happening/being enforced
First Freedom Ride was in May 1961, James Farmer, National Director of CORE and 12 volunteers left Washington DC by bus to travel to New Orleans down south
No trouble on first part of journey
Changed in Alabama
Bus firebombed on Mothers’ Day May 1961
As bus burned the mob held the doors shut hoping to burn the riders to death
Riders Escaped but were viciously beaten by men armed with clubs, bricks and iron pipes
Highway patrol men stopped the riders from being lynched
Reached Birmingham, no police protection
New President forced to intervene – got a promise from the state senator that there would be no more violence, however the riders were arrested for using a whites-only waiting room
FRs continued
27 jailed for 67 days for using whites-only section of bus station
Membership of CORE doubled to 52K
The Albany Movement 1961-62 – civil rights activists protested including MLK but failed to end segregation in the town
KKK attacked the riders
Robert Kennedy, Attorney General threatened to send in US Marshalls which stopped most of the violence
September: Interstate Commerce Commission issued a regulation saying bus companies couldn’t use bus stations that were run in a segregated way
Raised awareness and publicity