Q.1 What were feedom riders?
The Freedom Rides of 1961 was a revolutionary movement where black and white people refused to sit in their designated areas of buses to protest segregation. Blacks sat in the front of the bus and whites sat in the back, opposite of the usual arrangements. There were multiple different rides from several different locations and a variety of people. At every stop, the freedom riders would use the opposite segregated facilities such as bathrooms, restaurants, and water fountains
Q.2.where and when?
They began in Washington DC on May 4, 1961 and went to New Orleans originally. But the rides sparked a revolution and inspired many other people from several states to take part in the freedom rides and support the fight for racial justice.
Q.3who was involved?
The idea was conceived by The Congress of Racial Equality and the first ride involved 7 blacks and 6 whites who boarded the bus in Washington D.C. Many Freedom Riders were trained Civil Rights Activists who practiced peaceful protest and lead with bravery. Some were even involved in the diner sit in's the year before.
Q.4.why?
They intended to test the Supreme Court's ruling in Boynton v. Virginia (1960), which declared segregation in interstate bus and rail stations unconstitutional but was failing to be enforced.
Boynton vs Virginia was a court case about a man named Bruce Boynton who was in a restaurant within a "white only" bus terminal and refused to leave. He was arrested for trespassing, but the offense was turned over by the Supreme Court because "white only" and "black only" areas were deemed unconstitutional through Brown v. Board of Education (1954).
This was also the next step towards anti-segregation that promoted the ideas brought on by diner sit in's that took place in the previous year.
The Freedom Rides also had the goal of gaining not only public attention but also the attention of the Kennedy Association in order to raise awareness of the rising Civil Rights Movement.
