Freedom Bus Rides

CORE established

Jan 1, 1942

http://www.core-online.org
James Farmer, a concerned African-American, started this Civil Rights group to protest against Jim Crow laws. CORE is an abbreviation for the Congress of Racial Equality which stands for what it says- racial equality. Other activists joined this group because they were willing to work for equality. CORE started and sponsored several protests including the Freedom Rides.

Journey of Reconciliation

Apr 9, 1947

http://www.core-online.org/History/george_houser.htmThe Journey of Reconciliation was supported by CORE as a civil rights protest. It was similar to the Freedom Rides in that it was an bus ride opposing segregation. Volunteers rode on segregated buses through Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky making a statement for their equality. There were several arrests and some violence as a result. It received some publicity, but not as much as the Freedom Rides would.

Jim Crow Law changed in public transportation

Dec 5, 1960

centennial.journalism.columbia.edu/1946-fighting-jim-crow/>.Jim Crow laws had previously enforced racial segregation in the South, especially in public restrooms and restaurants. During the Boynton vs. Virginia case, which involved an African-American riding on a white-only bus, a decision was made to desegregate all public transportation areas. This law was supposed to improve segregation and allow equality for everyone in public places. The Freedom Rides would test this changed law and prove that there was still segregation in the South.

Freedom Ride begins

May 4, 1961

http://1961freedomriders.org/riderhistory
Two groups of Freedom Riders left Washington, DC on a Greyhound and a Trailways bus. Over the next few weeks they would travel through North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana on their way to New Orleans. They didn't expect much violence, but they would be stopping in some very dangerous areas. They made it through North Carolina with no problems, but they would encounter much violence soon.

Violence in Rock Hill, SC

May 9, 1961

http://racialinjustice.eji.org/timeline/
At the Greyhound bus station in Rock Hill, SC, John Lewis, a future congressman, and several others were beaten and severely injured. They had tried to enter the white waiting room when they were assaulted in the presence of a police officer who did nothing to intervene. Some were arrested and others went on to continue their ride through the South. This was the first act of violence that they encountered, but it was not the last.

Buses attacked in Alabama

May 14, 1961

http://www.npr.org/2006/01/12/5149667/get-on-the-bus-the-freedom-riders-of-1961
The Greyhound Bus passed through Anniston, Alabama on Mother's Day. The bus was attacked by angry members of the Ku Klux Klan. They threw rocks and bricks, slashed the tires, smashed the windows, and threw firebombs to destroy the bus and the people in it. They barely escaped before the bus burst into flames. This violence received a lot of publicity and helped make people aware of the harm of segregation.

Freedom Riders in Birmingham

May 15, 1961

http://topics.time.com/alabama/pictures/
The Trailways bus encountered violence in Birmingham, AL when a Klan mob attacked the bus. Many people were injured including James Peck, a CORE member, who needed 53 stitches. They were now stuck in Birmingham because the bus companies wouldn't take them. They were finally taken on an unplanned flight out of Alabama to safety.

Diane Nash picks up the Ride

May 16, 1961

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/freedomriders/people/diane-nash</a></a>A group of Tennessee students led by Diane Nash did not want the Freedom Ride to end in Alabama. They picked up where the others left off and rode on a bus to Montgomery. The police intercepted them, however; and took them back to Birmingham where they were arrested after trying to board another bus. Later, they were driven to a dangerous part of Alabama-Tennessee and left there, where they had to hitch a ride back to Birmingham and finally get a bus ride to Montgomery.

Violence with MLK Jr.

May 21, 1961

http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1964/king-bio.htmlMartin Luther King met with a group of 1,500 African-Americans at a Baptist Church in Montgomery. They were gathered there to support the Freedom Riders and their purpose. An angry mob of 3,000 whites gathered around the building. Tear gas was fired to make the mob settle down, but a window of the church was broken and the people inside were trapped and intoxicated. This was yet another occurrence of violence towards the Freedom Riders and their supporters.

Freedom Riders arrive in Jackson, MS

May 24, 1961

<a href='http://1961freedomriders.org/>' >http://1961freedomriders.org/</a>
When they arrived in Jackson and entered the white waiting room, they were arrested and taken to jail. The authorities did not want the Freedom Rides to go any further. The Riders were tried and sent to Parchman State Penitentiary. Supporters joined them in prison as a part of the protest, making a total of 328 people in prison. Even in the prison they were segregated. This would be the end of the Freedom Rides, but the protests would continue.

All Bus stations desegregated

Sep 22, 1961

N.d. Photograph. Oprah.com. Web.After the Freedom Rides, segregation was still prevalent. It wasn't until 6 months after that bus stations followed all laws of desegregation. The Interstate Commerce Commission finally outlawed discriminatory bus seating. The signs separating whites and blacks on buses and waiting rooms were removed. This was a victory for the Freedom Riders and their sacrifices.