Since Jim Crow laws were instituted toward the end of the 19th century, African Americans in the South were forced to endure substandard, racially segregated conditions. Black travelers were forced to sit at the back of the bus and use separate waiting rooms, restrooms, and drinking fountains. Legal challenges to end racial segregation in public facilities yielded some success in the 1960s but many Southern states resisted compliance with court ordered integration.
On May 4, 1961, the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) began an effort where black and white activists agreed to ride together through the South on Greyhound and Trailways buses in order to test whether buses and transportation facilities were complying with the decision in Boynton v. Virginia, which outlawed segregation in interstate public facilities. These “Freedom Riders” were met with extreme violence by local whites, who burned the Riders’ bus in Anniston, Alabama, and attacked Freedom Riders in Birmingham and Montgomery, Alabama. Despite the violence, the inaugural ride led to future rides organized by other civil rights groups.
On September 22, 1961, after protests, arrests, and press conferences by the Freedom Riders, the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) officially outlawed discriminatory seating practices on interstate bus transit and ordered that “whites only” signs be removed from interstate bus terminals by November 1. Birmingham, Alabama, one of the last holdouts, complied with the ICC ruling in January 1962.
(Above, Freedom Riders bus burns outside Anniston, Alabama. Donated by Corbis, U1279611)
This Highlight on Freedom Riders is the fifth in a year-long series of excerpts from EJI's A History of Racial Injustice - 2013 Calendar. It's part of our newest initiative addressing race and poverty in America.
The history of racial inequality and economic injustice in the United States has created continuing challenges for all Americans and we believe more must be done to advance our collective goal of equal justice for all. Our first calendar focuses on African American history and is part of an EJI series of forthcoming reports and documents that explore the legacy of racial bias in the United States and its continuing impact on contemporary policies and practices.
Please visit our online timeline, A History of Racial Injustice [1]. The timeline provides expanded content to complement our A History of Racial Injustice 2013 calendar, including new photos and in-depth information about each of the events profiled in our calendar.
Visit us each month for a new Highlight from A History of Racial Injustice.