Journey to Freedom - Retrace the Freedom Rides
Retrace two of the most influential Freedom Rides of 1961: the original CORE Freedom Ride and the Nashville Student Movement Ride.
Courtesy of "Freedom Riders," a WGBH production for PBS
The Oprah Winfrey Show | May 04, 2011 
Photo: Getty Images
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On May 20, escorted by Alabama state troopers, the Nashville Riders travel from Birmingham to Montgomery. At the Montgomery city limits, the troopers disperse, and the Riders arrive at the Greyhound terminal only to be met with a mob of more than 200, who attack not just the Riders, but reporters and others, leaving more than 20 seriously injured. On May 21, the Riders take refuge in the Montgomery First Baptist Church where they are joined by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and 1,500 supporters. A violent mob gathered outside the church is eventually driven off by National Guard troops sent by the Kennedy administration. |
