Freedom Rides
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Who were the Freedom Riders?
One of an interracial group of civil rights activists in the early 1960s who rode buses through parts of the southern United States for the purpose of challenging racial segregation. The groups consisted of blacks and whites. There were two groups of Freedom Riders, the CORE, or Congress of Racial Equality and SNCC, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Comitee. James Farmer was the director of CORE. He was a Black civil rights activist who was one of the "big four" leaders of the American Civil rights Movement. Another Key player in the Freedom Rides was Diane Nash. Diane Nash was a founder of the SNCC a key force in the American Civil Rights Movement. Some other noteable Freedom Riders were:Diane Nash, James L. Farmer, William Mahoney, John Lewis, Jim Zwerg, James Peck, George Bundy Smith, Frederick Leonard, and William Sloane Coffin. 
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What happened in the Freedom Rides?
Many thigs happened in the Freedom Rides. Like any logical story lets start at the beginning. In 1947 there was a protest called the "Journey of Reconciliation." Nearly a decade and a half later the group CORE proposed new ride called "The Freedom Ride." It would function the samd as the earlier Freeedom Ride. whites would sit in the black section of the bus and vice-versa. At the public facilities such as bus stations Whites would use the Blacks facilities and vice-versa. The Freedom Ride left on May 4, 1961 hoping to arrive in New Orleans on May 17 (this would be the Brown v. Board of Education's decision 17th anniversary. On May 14th the Freedom Riders split into 2 groups. The first group encountered a great deal of violence in Aniston, Alabama. A group of 200 angry white people met the bus and stoned and slashed the buses tires.The bus managed to escape, but after it stopped 6 miles out of town the mob returned and firebombed the bus. Group number two did not fare any better. In Birmingham this group of riders was beaten by members of the Ku Kulx Klan. White Freedom Riders were primarily singled out. They were beaten with iron pipes, baseball bats, and bicycle chains. Bull Connnor Birmingham's Public Saftey Commissioner said that he had no officers posted there because of the holiday (it was Mother's Day.) The FBI later learned that the police had stayed away from the bus station on purpose. The riders wanted to still continue. However, the bus company did not want them to ride one their buses because one had already been lost because of bombing. After unsucessful negotions the Freedom Ride was canceled for the saftey of its riders. But the Freedom Riders were determined. The SNCC led by Diane Nash decided to continue the rides. The students in the Freedom Ride were the same ones that were in the Nashville sit-ins. The students started out in Nashville and rode down to Birmingham. There they ran into trouble and were escorted back to Tennesee and were dumped by the side of the highway at the state line. But the Freedom Riders were determined. They rode back into Birmingham. The Freedom Riders were told that there would be a police car every 10 to 15 miles. As the riders entered the Montgomery bus station they were attacked by a mob. . When Robert Kennedy heard of this he sent National Guard to guard the Freedom Riders. The Freedom Riders traveled on to Misssissippi. In Jackson they were not attacked. On May 25 they were tried by the local court, they were found guilty and served 60 days in the state jail.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10004609
Why did the Freedom Rides occur?
The freedom rides were made to test the strenghth of the Boynton v. Virginia decision. This decision said that segregation was on interstate public transportation was not equal therefore unconstitutional. That was what the CORE rides purpose was, to test the strenghth of the decision. The SNCC ride was riden to take over the CORE's rides purpose. After facing brutal violence and multiple threats of lynching and hundereds of death threats the demonstration was halted immedietly. This was when the SNCC came in. They started their own bus ride and also traveled into the South. Their overall purpose was to test the effects of the Boynton v. Virginia decision. There was another intent of the Freedom Rides. This goal was to force the Kennedy administration to take a stand on civil rights. While the Freedom Riders never made it through their long trip they achived their goal. When making this dangerous trip the Freedom Riders were counting on the hatred of the South to draw national attention.
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Where did the Freedom Rides occur?
The Freedom Rides were put into action in the Upper and Deep South. The CORE led Freedom Ride began in Washington D.C. From there they headed South towards their final destination. Unfortunately they never made it to New Orleans due to quiting to protect the riders and then later being arrested. After CORE stopped the SNCC stepped in deciding it was to important to let go. The SNCC did not make it as far due to almost everyone in jail because of mobs and attacks. While the SNCC was traveling they started in Nashville,Tennesee, traveled down to Montgomery, Alabama and then went to Jackson, Mississippi. Their goal was to also make it to New Orlens, but due to being arrested in Jackson they never achived their goal of making it to New Orleans, Louisiana. Overall the general places the CORE Freedom Riders went were Washington D.C., Birmingham Alabamba, Mongomery Alabama, Virginia, South Carolina, and Mississippi. They accomplished a ton making the message clear to President Kennedy, and to the rest of the United States.
When did the Freedom Rides take place?
The Freedom Rides took place in the early 1960's. There was a small freedom ride in 1947 called the "Journey of Reconciliation" but it did not gain much national attention. About fifteen years ago CORE decided to try another "Journey of Reconciliation." This demonstration would be called the "Freedom Ride." On May 14, 1961 the Freedom Riders left Washington D.C. After stoppig due to protecting the saftey of the riders the CORE Freedom Ride had come to an end. How ever, the SNCC continued this effort and reached Brimingham on May 20. On May 25 they were tried and arrested in Jackson Mississippi.
Our viewpoint on the Confederate flag being on the Georgia state flag is that it represents racisim. . The Confederate flag has shown up in protest aginst desegregation. It has flown in KKK meetings and other acts of violence aginst Civil Rights activists. It has also flown in the Civil War. It represented slavery because at that time the Confederates were fighting aginst the Union who wanted to free the slaves. There is one reason why the Confederate flag was changed in 1956. It showed that Georgia was completely for keeping segregation alive. This gave Georgia the reputation of not wanting equal rights and that they would go tho any measure to keep Georgia segregated.
Our flag is very symbolic. It greatly decribes Georgia's past and heritage. Notice we didn't put the Confederate flag on our version of the Georgaia Flag. The Georgia seal on the flag so that you can tell that it is Georgia's state flag from a great distance away. The seal represents that Georgia stands for wisdom, justice, and moderation. The flag also represents that is, and wil be part of the United States of America.
Source Citations:
"Crowd At Bus Station." New York Times 18 May-June 1961. 15 Feb. 2008 <http://www.proquest.umi.com>
"Freedom Rides." Encyclopadia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Onlone School Edition.6 Feb. 2008 <http://school.eb.com/eb/article-9399760>
"History of the Orginal Freedom Rides." 18 Feb. 2008<http://www.iwfr.org/civilhistory.asp>
"Freedom Riders Timeline." 18 Feb. 2008<http://www.outreach.olemiss.edu>.
"Deep South." Map. The Freedom Rides. 18 Feb. 2008<http://www.tahg.org/module_display.php?mod_id=58&review=yes>.
Washington, Robin. "You Dont Have to Ride Jim Crow." June-July 2002. 19 Feb. 2008 <http://www.robinwashington.com/jimcrow/2_journey.html>.
19 Feb. 2008 <http://www.tahg.org/module_display.php?mod_id=58&review=yes#287>
Boyd, Herb. We Shall Evercome. Atlanta: Source Books Inc., 2004. 4-228
Cozzens, Liza. "Freedom Rides." 18 Aug. 1999. 20 Feb. 2008 <http://www.watson.org/~lisa/blackhistory/civilrights-55-65/freeride.html>.
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