It was not his first act of courageous leadership and sacrifice, nor his last. John Lewis was the first to withstand a physical attack, just 6 days into the trip. Their message of bravery, hope, and unity in diversity continues to inspire us. The public attention they brought to a pernicious cancer in our society further inspired millions of Americans across the country, including generations of Americans who have continued the fight for civil rights in the years since. Despite the brutality they faced, they were joined by five other Riders along the route, and then by hundreds more joining similar rides in the months to come. The Freedom Riders remained devoted to nonviolence, displaying extraordinary physical courage and unflinching moral conviction.
FREEDOM RIDERS WINDOWS
One of the two buses had its tires slashed and windows smashed before it was firebombed. They were kicked and beaten unconscious, assaulted with bats and batons, and arrested under laws that had already been declared illegal by the Supreme Court - but which festered nevertheless. As their buses arrived in each segregated town, the Riders were brutally attacked by vicious, hateful mobs of white supremacists. But for far too many Americans, that promise of equality was slow to arrive. Frances and Walter Bergman, Albert Bigelow, Ed Blankenheim, Reverend Benjamin Elton Cox, James Farmer, Genevieve Hughes, Jimmy McDonald, James Peck, Joe Perkins, Charles Person, Hank Thomas, and a 21-year-old student at the American Baptist Theological Seminary named John Lewis.īy the time of the first Freedom Rides, Thurgood Marshall and other heroes of the early Civil Rights Movement had already persuaded the Supreme Court to strike down the devastating doctrine of ‘separate but equal,’ which had given legal cover to the horrors of Jim Crow for more than half a century. They were teachers and students, carpenters and architects, ministers and servicemembers. They came from 9 different States and the District of Columbia they were Black and white, men and women, ranging in age from 18 to 61, sitting side by side in a simple affirmation of shared humanity. On May 4, 1961, thirteen Americans set out on Greyhound and Trailways buses from Washington, D.C., to peacefully protest the scourge of segregation. Get Involved Show submenu for “Get Involved””.The White House Show submenu for “The White House””.Office of the United States Trade Representative.Office of Science and Technology Policy.Executive Offices Show submenu for “Executive Offices””.Administration Show submenu for “Administration””.
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