1961Reputable sourceWell documented
The Freedom Rides
On the timeline · around 1961 ·
What happened
In 1961 interracial groups of activists, organized by the Congress of Racial Equality, rode buses into the segregated South to test a court ruling that banned segregation in interstate travel. The 'Freedom Riders' met savage violence — beatings and a firebombed bus — but pressed on, forcing federal intervention and a firm ban on segregation in bus terminals.
Why it matters
The Freedom Rides showed activists' willingness to risk their lives and compelled the federal government to enforce desegregation in interstate travel.