Some of you that know me know I don't really post my work on here. I've been here a while and have posted nothing. That's going to change, and I'm writing a fan fiction and some poetry right now. It's not the best, I wrote it half asleep. This is a research paper I just wrote for History class on the Freedom Riders. I included both the in-text citations and the bibliography. Enjoy!
Freedom Riders: Free or Not?
Imagine riding a wooden, beat up, old, dirty bus into the middle of a place where you are hated by almost everyone. It was basically a suicide mission. And that was the Freedom Riders’ plan. No shock, then, that the Freedom Riders are considered national heroes. These smart, bold, students face an unglamorous reality. It was almost like Hitler all over again, except with blacks instead of the Jewish people. A large part of the United States were discriminating against the blacks and those who helped the blacks. The Freedom Riders were a variety of brave, Tennessee college students, who fearfully ventured into the deep South, protesting to stop segregation.
Before the Freedom Rides, the blacks had very little progress through the Civil Rights movement. Blacks couldn’t vote. They couldn’t sit at the front of the bus, and, if space ran out, they’d have to stand. It was hard for them to get transportation with all the segregation going on. Blacks also could only use certain facilities and schools. They were allowed to buy only certain things. They had barely any rights, and the rights they had weren’t well enforced. When the crimes were acted out against the blacks, penalties were rarely enforced. Some blacks were even killed, arrested, and beaten when they mixed with the whites. And even farther in the past, blacks were used as slaves! How unfair!
Where did segregation occur? I’ve often read and heard that segregation occurred only in the South. That’s wrong, segregation occurred all over the United States. It did mostly take place in the south though, especially Alabama. The North was likely the best place for a black to live in during the Civil Rights Movement, which still wasn’t a safe, happy place for them to be (Darryl).
The Freedom Riders stopped at almost every segregated bus terminal, determined to desegregate them through sit-ins and bus rides. The two main stops were in Birmingham, Alabama and Nashville, Tennessee. In both cities, the Riders were jailed and beaten badly. They were lucky to survive, especially Jim Zwerg, the only white male Freedom Rider (Bausum). Other stops included some in Rockhill, South Carolina and Georgia. Anniston, Alabama, Jackson, Mississippi, and Washington, D.C., were more major locations (Pendergast)
As blacks weren’t rich, they didn’t have well equipment to go to the South with. Their method of transportation wasn’t even well when that’s what they were protesting. How ironic! They usually rode down in poor, old, beaten, hand-me-down, wooden buses. Occasionally the Freedom Riders rode Greyhound buses. Even worse, they didn’t bring any form of weapon at all (Bausum 24).
Blacks really deserved this freedom back then. For one, would you want to be discriminated? Plus they fought in many wars for the country the were being abused by. Blacks helped build factories, maintain homes, fertilize soil, and oil machines for the US. If you think about it, the nation was partly carved in a way by their suffering. As William Dudley said, “We have planted the tree. Shall we not demand the fruit?” (Dudley 91)
Blacks weren’t hurt just physically by these vicious words and attacks. They were jobless or had poorly paying jobs therefore making them economically challenged. Since they were the last ones hired and first ones fired, an unbalance in the nation’s economy resulted. Throughout the rides, they were told or forced to leave. If the Freedom Riders did not leave, the Riders were beaten or jailed or killed even. Most were left hospitalized with stitches, bruises, and broken bones. Even the courageous, young black children that went to white schools, were often bullied. Another target of bullies were “nigger lovers,” or whites who sympathized with the blacks. Many talents, skills, abilities, and knowledge of blacks were wasted. Some blacks, including John Lewis, skipped getting a driver’s license due to extra criticism from white instructors. John Lewis didn’t receive his license until his early forties. John Lewis still had political problems when running for Congressman. Many blacks ended up with psychological problems as well (Bausum).
Pretty much everything going on against the blacks caused the prestigious Freedom Rides. Since the Brown v. Board of Education was passed and still had no effect, some anger on the rising issue of segregated schools. The racial tension and aggression between blacks and whites led to fights, bombings, and murders of high leaders of organizations working for the advancement of blacks. With the Boynton v. Virginia not working on integrating bus terminals, the Freedom Rides continued. On the other hand, there were some people and organizations promoting the efforts of the Freedom Riders (1960's Lifestyles and Social Trends: The Freedom Rides).
There were a million people that helped the efforts of the Freedom Riders. Rosa Parks was the most important one. She possibly started the Freedom Rides with her famous arrest for not giving up her precious seat at the back of the bus. Another big person was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Often times, he organized or appeared with the Freedom Riders on their terrifying journey through the South (1960's Lifestyles and Social Trends: The Freedom Rides). Although they had very little effect, President John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy made some laws ands regulations in an attempt to contain segregation (Encyclopædia Britannica).
Supporters of the Freedom Riders were really important. They gave them confidence and, obviously, support. The supporters were young and old, male or female. Most of the supporters were blacks. Others included Quakers, rabbis, few whites, and generally almost anyone that believe segregation was wrong. A Quaker is a peaceful person that has many pacifist views. A rabbi is a Jewish leader or scholar. Although most were Northerners, there were still some Southern supporters (Dudley 96).
John Lewis and Jim Zwerg were two very important and influential Freedom Riders. Jim Zwerg was the only white male for most of the trip. Zwerg was there for it all, like John Lewis. They are both considered two of the most courageous persons the civil rights movement ever produced. Jim Zwerg was white, having a whole great life. Instead he choose to go on the Freedom Rides, against the judgment of his parents. That pretty much ruined his life as he was now considered a “nigger lover.” John Lewis was the leader of the Freedom Riders (Bausum).
Not only did people help the Freedom Riders and blacks, there were different organizations that supported them. Each of them utilized different approaches to acquire racial equality. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Urban League, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), and Fellowship of Reconciliation were among these. “The NAACP excelled in both litigation and lobbying, while the Urban League focused on economic development. SNCC, SCLC, and CORE all utilized techniques of nonviolent direct action.”
White life was like heaven compared to black. They automatically were entitled to a great life. Any white was considered a success when compared to a black. Whites frequently won a lot of things academically, a lot more than blacks did. The rich whites usually went to college, which they didn’t end up needing much money to do so. Several whites didn’t meet any blacks at all until they got older and traveled to other cities more. This happened with Jim Zwerg. He didn’t come across any blacks until he went on a trip to another city with his parents (Bausum).
Blacks were poorly treated by others. Overall, they had bad lives. None of them won very much academically. They were failures especially when compared to a white. They were poor, jobless, and not allowed to go to the majority of the colleges around at that time (Bausum). A large amount of blacks began working at a very early age, working hard for their entire lives (Fankhauser).
The Freedom Riders and other groups frequently used slogans, songs and cheers to encourage sit-ins and gain supports. The most popular one was songs because it was encouraging, breath-taking, many songs were sung, and they did it so much. “Let It Shine,” “Oh, Freedom,” “Eyes on the Prize,” (Bausum) and “Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Round” were they main songs they sung. Some songs were cheesy, short, lullaby-like songs. For instance, they sometimes sung “Michael Row Your Boat Ashore” and My Dog Loves Your Dog.” They songs were sung while they sat in jail and during marches throughout the United States (Fankhauser). “Free by ‘63” was a popular slogan that was used. The Freedom Rides were also sometimes called A Sympathy Ride because it was basically a ride to gain sympathy of others (Bausum).
Finally, the Freedom Rides came to an ending with the Supreme Court mandate that took effect in September of 1961. All 120 bus terminals were now required to be integrated by law (American History). Although bashful about it, the Riders became heroes. Some racial tensions ended. Groups such as the Ku Klux Klan were still around, terrorizing and blacks. Eventually, John Lewis, one of the black Freedom Riders, becomes Congressman for the 5th district of Georgia, when he ran for a second time in the November 1986 (Bausum).
Even now, over 40 years after the Freedom Rides ended, a strong connection still stands strong today between all of the remaining Freedom Riders (U.S. civil rights movement). To this day, Freedom Riders think about those rides still, which is unusual, seeing as most would try blocking those painful memories and sights away (Saari).
Even though the Freedom Riders went on a seemingly impossible mission, and they didn’t have well equipment or technology, the Freedom Riders had lots of success. Like the Congress of Racial Equality, the Freedom Riders had done many useful things to help the Civil Rights Movement outlaw discrimination. It would be a tragedy if another “war of the races” occurred. But maybe their greatest success was that blacks and whites, two old enemies, have now taken a step to working together peacefully as friends and family. As volunteers for the Congress of Racial Equality, the Freedom Riders boldly protested segregation through a series a bus rides, sit-ins, and boycotts.
Sources
Bausum, Ann. Freedom Riders: John Lewis and Jim Zwerg on the Front Lines of the Civil Rights Movement. Chicago IL: National Geographic Society, 1996.
Darryl Paulson. "Congress of Racial Equality Is Founded." Great Events from History: North American Series. Salem Press, 1997. eNotes.com. 2006. 20 Dec, 2008 <http://www.enotes.com/salem-history/congress-racial-equality-founded>.
Dudley, William. The Civil Rights Movement Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego CA: Greenhaven Press, 1996.
Fankhauser, David B. "FREEDOM RIDES Recollections by David Fankhauser ." Freedom Riders. 17 Dec, 2008 <http://biology.clc.uc.edu /fankhauser/society /freedom_rides /freedom_ride_dbf.htm>.
"Freedom Riders." American History. 2008. ABC-CLIO. 20 Dec. 2008 <http://www.americanhistory.abc-clio.com>.
"Freedom Rides." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition. 20 Dec. 2008 <http://www.school.eb.com/eb/article-9399760>.
"1960's Lifestyles and Social Trends: The Freedom Rides." American Decades. Ed. Matthew J. Bruccoli and Richard Layman. Gale Cengage, 1995. eNotes.com. 2006. 20 Dec, 2008 <http://www.enotes.com/1960-lifestyles-social-trends-american-decades/
freedom-rides>.
Pendergast, Tom, and Sara Pendergast. "Civil Rights." The Sixties in America Almanac. Ed. Allison McNeill. UXL-GALE, 2005. eNotes.com. 2006. 20 Dec, 2008 <http://www.enotes.com/sixties-america-almanac/civil-rights>.
Saari, Peggy. "Political And Social Movements: What Were The Freedom Rides?." History Fact Finder. Ed. Julie L. Carnagie. UXL-GALE, 2001. eNotes.com. 2006. 20 Dec, 2008 <http://www.enotes.com/history-fact-finder/political-social-movements/what- were-freedom-rides>.
"U.S. civil rights movement." World History: The Modern Era. 2008. ABC-CLIO. 20 Dec. 2008 <http://www.worldhistory.abc-clio.com>.
