The Freedom Rides of 1961 began with thirteen activists on two buses, and quickly attracted hundreds of supporters.  They were part of a revolution to change the status quo, to challenge racial discrimination.  The violent reaction by mobs in Alabama shocked the rest of the nation and the world because the riders' actions were nonviolent and perfectly legal.  By causing a political crisis, the Freedom Riders demanded reform, forcing the government to uphold a 1960 U.S. Supreme Court decision.  As a large-scale, grassroots effort, the Freedom Rides would change the future strategies and methods of the Civil Rights Movement.

Freedom Ride Route 1961

Music:
Renese King - "Hallelujah I'm a Travelin'"
Source: Freedom Riders PBS 2011