The Freedom riders were launched by a group of 13 african-american and white civil right activist. The Freedom Riders would buy tickets on interstate buses for a two-week journey that would end in New Orleans. Along the way, the Riders would test federal laws that prohibited segregation by riding in the front of buses and sitting in waiting rooms designated "whites only" and "colored." Many of them were members of the Congress of Racial Equality.
What did the Freedom Riders do?
They attempted to integrate facilities at bus terminals along its way into the Deep South. African-american tried to use ‘whites-only restrooms and lunch counters and vice versa. They encountered violence from the white protestors along the route. Over the next few months, hundred of Freedom Riders engaged in similar actions.
When is the Freedom Riders?
The freedom riders began on May 4, 1961 in Washington, D.C