- Collection:
- New Georgia Encyclopedia
- Title:
- Freedom Rides
- Creator:
- Hatfield, Edward A.
- Date of Original:
- 2008-04-11
- Subject:
- Congress of Racial Equality
Civil rights--Southern States
African Americans--Civil rights--Southern States
Buses--Southern States
Bus terminals--Southern States
Bus lines--Southern States
Trailways
Greyhound Lines
Railroads--Southern States
Railroad stations--Southern States
Railroad travel--Southern States
African Americans--Travel--Southern States
Segregation in transportation--Southern States
Segregation--Southern States
Segregationists--Southern States
Compliance
Discrimination--Southern States
Race discrimination--Southern States
Race relations
Southern States--Race relations
Discrimination in restaurants--Southern States
Restaurants--Southern States
Interstate commerce--Southern States
Federal-state controversies--Southern States
Intervention (Federal government)--Southern States
Intimidation--Southern States
Mobs--Southern States
Riots--Southern States
Race riots--Southern States
Racism--Southern States
White supremacy movements--Southern States
Violence--Southern States
Social justice--Southern States
African Americans--Crimes against--Southern States
Offenses against the person--Southern States
Offenses against the person--South Carolina--Rock Hill
Offenses against the person--Alabama--Birmingham
Offenses against the person--Alabama--Montgomery
Southern States--Politics and government--20th century
Southern States--Social conditions--20th century
Southern States--History--20th century
Jails--Southern States
Imprisonment--Southern States
Arrest--Southern States
Police--Southern States
Police chiefs--Southern States
Direct action--Southern States
Nonviolence--Southern States
Ku Klux Klan (1915- )
Assault and battery--South Carolina--Rock Hill
Assault and battery--Alabama--Birmingham
Assault and battery--Alabama--Montgomery
African Americans--Violence against
Civil rights workers--Violence against
Incendiary bombs--Alabama--Anniston
Bombings--Alabama--Anniston
United States. Interstate Commerce Commission
Civil rights demonstrations--Georgia--Albany
Demonstrations--Georgia--Albany
Government, Resistance to--Southern States
Freedom Rides, 1961
Albany Movement (Albany, Ga.) - People:
- Farmer, James L., Jr. (James Leonard), 1920-1999
Connor, Eugene, 1897-1973
Bigelow, Albert, 1906-1993
Lewis, John, 1940-2020
King, Martin Luther, Jr., 1929-1968
Booker, Simeon, 1918-2017
Patterson, John, 1921 September 27-2021
Kennedy, Robert F., 1925-1968 - Location:
- United States, Alabama, Calhoun County, 33.77143, -85.82603
United States, Alabama, Jefferson County, 33.55431, -86.89649
United States, Alabama, Montgomery County, 32.22026, -86.20761
United States, Georgia, Bibb County, 32.80659, -83.69776
United States, Georgia, Dougherty County, 31.53337, -84.21625
United States, Georgia, Fulton County, 33.79025, -84.46702
United States, Georgia, Fulton County, Atlanta, 33.749, -84.38798
United States, Georgia, Lowndes County, 30.83386, -83.26771
United States, Georgia, Richmond County, 33.35963, -82.07355
United States, Georgia, Richmond County, Augusta, 33.47097, -81.97484
United States, Georgia, Thomas County, 30.86368, -83.91931
United States, Georgia, Thomas County, Thomasville, 30.83658, -83.97878
United States, Mississippi, Hinds County, 32.2667, -90.44282
United States, North Carolina, 35.50069, -80.00032
United States, South Carolina, York County, 34.97475, -81.18442
United States, South Carolina, York County, Rock Hill, 34.92487, -81.02508
United States, Southern States, 33.346678, -84.119434
United States, Tennessee, Davidson County, 36.17069, -86.77753
United States, Tennessee, Davidson County, Nashville, 36.16589, -86.78444
United States, Virginia, 37.54812, -77.44675 - Medium:
- articles
- Type:
- Text
- Description:
- Encyclopedia article about the Freedom Rides organized by the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) in the spring and summer of 1961. CORE sponsored a series of integrated bus rides throughout the South to test compliance with recent court rulings banning segregation in interstate travel. Subsequently known as the Freedom Rides, the protests garnered national support for civil reforms and forced the federal government's involvement in African Americans' struggle for freedom. Although Freedom Riders traveled unmolested through Georgia and were served courteously at several lunch counters throughout the state, they met with violent resistance elsewhere in the region, especially in Alabama. In the aftermath of Montgomery's violence, media attention increased, forcing the Kennedy administration to take a definitive position in defense of civil rights.
The administration announced on May 29, 1961, that it had instructed the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) to ban segregation in all facilities under its jurisdiction. After months of delay, the ICC officially ruled segregation in interstate travel illegal on November 1, 1961.
The Civil Rights Digital Library received support from a National Leadership Grant for Libraries awarded to the University of Georgia by the Institute of Museum and Library Services for the aggregation and enhancement of partner metadata.
GSE identifier: SS8H11 - Metadata URL:
- https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/freedom-rides/
- Rights Holder:
- If you wish to use content from the NGE site for commercial use, publication, or any purpose other than fair use as defined by law, you must request and receive written permission from the NGE. Such requests may be directed to: Permissions/NGE, University of Georgia Press, 330 Research Drive, Athens, GA 30602.
- Bibliographic Citation (Cite As):
- Cite as: "[article name]," New Georgia Encyclopedia. Retrieved [date]: http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org.
- Original Collection:
- Forms part of the New Georgia Encyclopedia.
- Contributing Institution:
- New Georgia Encyclopedia (Project)
- Rights:
-
