Freedom Rides

In the summer of 1961, the Freedom Riders, a group of mostly young people, both black and white, risked their lives to challenge the system of segregation in interstate travel in the South. The purpose of the rides was “to test the Supreme Court’s ruling in Boynton v. Virginia (1960), which declared segregation in interstate bus and rail stations unconstitutional” (CORE, 2006). In 2001, participants gathered in Jackson, MS to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Freedom Rides, where a number of oral history interviews were collected. Additional interviews about the events occurred over the following year.

A short documentary on the Freedom Rides: The Children Shall Lead

Interviews:

Freedom County