Essay about Freedom Riders - 1575 Words

Freedom Riders â€Å"Freedom Riders† were a group of people, both black and white, who were civil rights activists from the North who â€Å"meant to demonstrate that segregated travel on interstate buses, even though banned by an I.C.C. Ruling, were still being enforced throughout much of the South† (The South 16). The Riders attempted to prove this by having a dozen or so white and black Freedom Riders board buses in the North and travel through Southern cities. This was all â€Å"a coldly calculated attempt to speed up integration by goading the South, forcing the Southern extremists to explode their tempers† (Freedom Riders 20). The author of the Newsweek article stated this as the Southern opinion of the reason for the Freedom Riders. The†¦show more content†¦Several incidents of beatings were reported, sometimes with simple weapons, other times with weapons of mass destruction conducted by local citizens as the freedom riders passed through their city. Very o ften, â€Å"the cops were conspicuously absent when the blood began to flow† (The South 16). One particularly violent incident on May 14, 1961 occurred when someone threw a bomb into a window of an interstate bus. When the twelve passengers on the bus exited because of the smoke and flames, the waiting mob pulverize beat some of passengers up. The police arrested four men in conjunction with the bombing, yet the four men were only charged with â€Å"willful damage to vehicles in interstate commerce† (State is Warned 1). The fact that this incident was taken so lightly is appalling. Clearly these men should have been punished or convicted more severely. The hurt freedom riders were taken to the local hospital, and none were seriously injured. We examined two articles about the bus bombing incident, one from Time and one from the New York Times. The Time article gave a much more general overview of the incident, and lacked some details, such as who was arrested and why, and the response of the government. The New York Times article discussed this information in great detail. It includes the names of the perpetrators and the reason for their arrest. It also discusses the response of Attorney General Robert Kennedy, whoShow MoreRelatedThe Freedom Riders1204 Words   |  5 PagesBBB Period N 18 March 2013 Freedom Riders Backlash The Freedom Riders strive through a journey of hardships to have their point accepted by others, which was bus desegregation. Through the journey the Freedom Rides took some obstacles that affected them physically and mentally. They fought threw times like the downfalls that their movement brought and the mobs that greeted them in every state. The mobs were verbally and physically violent towards the Freedom Riders more than a few times whileRead MoreFreedom Riders: Rebels with a Cause1400 Words   |  6 PagesFreedom Riders: Rebels with a Cause â€Å"If not us, then who? If not now, then when? Will there be a better day for it tomorrow or next year? Will it be less dangerous then? Will someone else’s children have to risk their lives instead of us risking ours?† -- John Lewis May 16, 1961, to other Nashville students considering joining the Freedom Rides John Lewis, a young black man who was born in the South, participated in the Freedom Rides. His statement rang true when Nashville students were facedRead MoreAn Analysis of Freedom Riders: The Documentary by Stanley Nelson1674 Words   |  7 Pages Stanley Nelson chronicles the journey of a group of individuals, known as the Freedom Riders, whom fought for the rights of African Americans to have the same amenities and access as the Caucasians. The purpose of the Freedom Rides was to deliberately violate the Jim Crow laws of the south that prohibited blacks and whites from mixing together on buses and trains. Expectedly, many of the Freedom Riders were beaten and the majority was imprisoned. This carried on for the majority of 1961 and culminatedRead MoreThe Freedom Riders : A Powerful And Inspiring Documentary On The Six Years996 Words   |  4 PagesThe â€Å"Freedom Riders† was a powerful and inspiring documentary on the six months of 1961 that altered America’s hi story. More than four hundred African Americans and whites put their lives in danger, bearing mob beatings and incarceration, as they travelled through the Deep South in numerous buses from May until November of 1961. As the freedom riders knowingly violated Jim Crow laws, they were confronted with cruel racism and violence which painfully pushed against their mindset of nonviolent activismRead MoreFreedom Riders, By John Lewis, A Former Freedom Rider1087 Words   |  5 PagesThis quote from John Lewis, a former Freedom Rider I believe with those words perfectly describes why these Freedom Riders began their journey. After reading the textbook, Visions of America and watching the video clip from American Experience of Freedom Riders I was able to make myself knowledgeable about Freedom Riders. Both the textbook and the video I thought engaged me into the information I was either reading or listening. So, what exactly are Freedom Riders, what were the impacts of this eventRead MoreE ssay on Freedom Riders1426 Words   |  6 PagesThe Freedom Riders were a group of college students and leaders of various racial equality organizations, both blacks and whites, which tested the law of integration for public transportation. The law was instated, but Alabama especially didn’t follow it. The Freedom Riders rode buses into the cities to see if the townspeople accepted or declined the new law. They in turn ended up beating, pummeling, and chasing the riders out of town with the white mobs. The Freedom Riders violently fought the segregationRead MoreFreedom Riders Speech788 Words   |  4 Pagessegregation that it eventually led to violence. In 1960, a group of brave people of a variety races came up with the idea of â€Å"Freedom Rides†. They knew the consequences of their cause, a 13 person group, protesting against something that most of the world stood for, and yet they still did everything they could do , to help end it. The Freedom Riders’ goals were to â€Å"challenge the non-enforcement of the united states supreme court decisions Morgan vs. virginia† (quizlet.com)Read MoreThe Freedom Riders Essay1553 Words   |  7 PagesSouth. At this time, segregation was legal. In 1892, the Supreme Court had ruled that a state could separate whites and blacks as long as the services were equal. On May 4, 1961, a diverse group of thirteen courageous individuals known as the Freedom Riders embarked on a bus journey into the South in order to challenge segregation in bus terminals. Although many individuals believed that segregation was wrong, many southern states continued to practice racial segregation. Racial segregation isRead MoreEssay On Freedom Riders738 Words   |  3 PagesThe Freedom Riders were remarkable, fearless Americans. They were extraordinary, ordinary people . . . young people who took the reins of history and wouldnt let go.† -Mark Samels, American Experience Executive Producer. This documentary showed a very dark time of American history, but in the dark is where the heroes come along. The people who took a stand and took part in the Freedom Rider is truly brave, and fearless, they are the people who made the America. Originally the Freedom Riders startedRead MoreThe Freedom Riders Essay1090 Words   |  5 PagesThe Freedom Riders were a group of around 13 people. Most of them were African Americans but there were always a few white skinned people in the group as well. There was no set leader for the Freedom Riders. The Freedom Riders rode interstate buses into the Southern United States. The south was referred to as the most segregated part of the U.S. The main goal of the Freedom Riders was to desegregate and become â€Å"separate but equal.† They had also set out to defy the Jim Crow Laws. The Freedom Riders