Freedom Rides 1961
Summary
In 1960 the Supreme Court declared that segregation at stations for buses and trains that travelled between different states was unconstitutional. In the summer of 1961 CORE (Congress for Racial Equality) decided to test that ruling. That summer, a group of African Americans and whites set out on a public bus journey from Washington DC through the deep south. The Freedom Riders encountered significant reistance and severe violence, particularly at towns in Alabama. In November 1961 the Interstate Commerce Commission issued rules relating to the desegregation of faacilities for passengers traveling interstate. The Freedom Riders and the violence they encountered received nationwide media attention, bringing further attention to Civil Rights issue in Southern states. |