Freedom riders were civil rights activists who fought against bus segregation in the South in the 1960s. Groups like CORE organized freedom rides where black and white riders sat together on buses traveling through the Deep South. When the buses reached Anniston, Alabama, one was firebombed and riders were beaten by a mob, showing the risks of challenging Jim Crow laws. However, over a thousand people later participated in freedom rides, and the Supreme Court eventually ruled to desegregate buses, though violence against civil rights activists continued.

2.  Freedom riders were non-violent civil rights
activist made up of mostly African Americans
& White Americans to fight against bus
segregation in the south.

3.  Segregation
The separation of whites from “persons of color” in public transportation and schools. Generally, anyone of ascertainable or
strongly suspected black ancestry in any degree was for this purpose a “person of color”;
 C.O.R.E
Congress Of Racial Equality was an interracial American organization established by James Farmer in 1942 to improve
race relations and end discriminatory policies through direct-action projects. He founded CORE as a vehicle for the
nonviolent approach to combating racial prejudice that was inspired by Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi.
 Ku Klux Klan
Either of two distinct U.S. hate organizations that have employed terror in pursuit of their white supremacist agenda. One
group was founded immediately after the Civil War and lasted until the 1870s; the other began in 1915 and has
continued to the present.
 Ambush
The oldest, most primitive field tactics are those that rely on concealment and surprise
 Courageous
The quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery.
 Anniston
A City In Alabama
 Degradation
The act of degrading or the state of being degraded.
 Interstate Commerce Commission
A former independent federal agency that supervised and set rates for carriers that transported goods and people between
states.
 Discrimination
The act of discriminating.
 Journey of Reconciliation
Was a form of non-violent direct action to challenge segregation laws on interstate buses in the Southern United States.

5. December 1st, 1955 Rosa Parks (a middle age
tailor assistant from Montgomery, Alabama) refused
to give up her seat 2 a white man. Refusing to do
so caused in her arrest.
After her arrest Martin Luther King Jr. helped
organize protest against bus segregation. It was
official blacks in Montgomery would refuse to ride
the buses until they were completely integrated .
For the next 13 months the 17,000 blacks
caught rides from the small car –owning black
population of the city.

7. Transport segregation continued in some parts of the
united states. So in 1961 a civil rights group C.O.R.E began
to organize freedom rides. After 3 days of training in non
violent techniques black &whites volunteered to sit next to
each other while they traveled through the deep south.
The freedom riders were spit into 2 buses. They traveled
in integrated seating & visited “white only” restaurants.
When they reached ANNISTON on mothers day May14
ne of the 2 buses were attacked by men armed with
clubs, bricks, iron pipes and knives. The bus was bombed
and the mob held the doors with the intent on buring the
riders to death (they all survived).

8. The bus that Survived traveled to Birmingham
Alabama they were also attacked by a huge mob.
After being dragged off the bus the mob proceeded
on with beating them with baseball bats and lead
piping.
The Ku Klux Klan hoped that those violent
treatment would stop other young people from
taking part in Freedom Rides.
But over the next 6 months time over a thousand
people took part in Freedom Rides. Eventually the lost
of revenue became too much & a decision by the
supreme court forced the Montgomery bus company
to accept integration.

9. Zwerg was first arrested for not moving to the back of the bus
with his black seating companion. 3 days late the riders regrouped
to go to Montgomery. They were waiting at the bus terminal, when
silence suddenly turned to an ambush. The Riders were attacked in
all directions, Zwerg suitcase was grabbed and smashed into his
face til he hit the ground. While others continued on beating him.
One man stopped and clamped Zwerg’s head between his knees
so others could bet him.
The attackers knocked his teeth out and showed no signs of
stopping until a black man stepped in and ultimately saved his life.
According to Zwerg “There is nothing heroic in what I did If you
want to talk about heroism, consider the black man who probably
saved my life. This man in coveralls just happened to walk by as
my beating was going on and said “Stop beating that kid! If you
want to beat someone, beat me!”, and they did . He was still
unconscious I don't know if he lived or died”

11.  www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEwPCm1
usPw&feature=related – Freedom Riders
Trailer