Freedom Riders

Heard about a documentary to air on PBS tomorrow, May 16.  It is a reenactment of  twelve people who decided to ride a bus from Washington DC to New Orleans.  Their plan was not to simply tour the country but for every passenger to sit where ever they chose on the bus, wait in the"Whites only" waiting areas at bus terminals and to freely enter restrooms no matter what "race only" sign hung outside the door.  Six of those who boarded the bus were African American and six were Caucasian.  

I didn't know this historical bus tour had ever occurred and when I saw the actual people who had taken the life-threatening ride fifty years ago, something moved within me.

They looked like me... grandmas and grandpas, sitting next to each other on Opra Winfrey's television set.   I realized what a huge contribution they had made to my country - my life, and all I can say is that it struck me in a big way!  A small determined group of young men and women who acted on internal instinct made a huge difference for an entire nation.


I guess Mother Tersa's philosophy would apply here, "Small things done with Large intention."  That's not an exact quote, only my slant on it.

At one of the stops the bus was firebombed, the riders overtaken by smoke inhalation and attacked by an angry mob..  The driver ran away and no other drivers would agree to take the group any further south. But that didn't stop the intended tour.

Others inspired by the first twelve riders, boarded buses all over the country and continued to ride to their original destination.  All of the buses encountered violence and harm along the way.  They did not make it to New Orleans.  When buses reached Jackson Mississippi its riders were met by police and sent to the state prison where they remained incarcerated for one year

The courage and nonviolent stand of the freedom riders called a nation to courage as well when the Interstate Commerce Commission outlawed segregated seating practices and enforced the removal of "whites only" signs from interstate bus terminals on November 1, 1961.

I think I am going to read this book written by a historian who, I have heard, has a gift for story telling as well.  Stories of the individual riders of the buses and the movement are a major focus of the book. Hope you might be inspired to read it too.

It looks like one of those thick numbers so I think I might be able to use it with my weight lifting routine too.  I love it whenever I can get several uses out of one item.  It will probably take me a long time to get through it as I find that I fall asleep now when I try to read.  It's all part of this second half of life thing....

Enjoy your day and give thanks for the country of many freedoms where we are privileged to live.