Freedom Riders

Gr 7 Up—Fifty years ago, 13 courageous, hand-picked activists, members of CORE (Congress of Racial Equality) and trained in Gandhian techniques of peaceful resistance, embarked on two buses to challenge the Jim Crow conventions of the Southern states. The purpose of this action was to test compliance with federal law that declared that segregation on interstate travel as well as in public accommodations was illegal. The plan was a two-week trip beginning in Washington DC, and culminating in New Orleans. These students believed that their actions would result in justice and freedom. On day 11, on the Atlanta to Birmingham leg of the trip, one bus was bombed outside Anniston, Alabama. The other bus was attacked in Birmingham by a huge mob. The violence did stop this trip, but not the rides. Hundreds of young people volunteered to continue the action over the objections of their parents, teachers, and religious leaders. Soon, the goal of the rides transformed into a movement to fill the jails in Jackson, Mississippi, and shame the federal government into action. Stanley Nelson, the film's director, provides a stunning montage of archival footage paired with contemporary interviews of the actual participants, such as Julian Bond and Congressman John Lewis. Raymond Arsenault, author of Freedom Riders: 1961 and the Struggle for Racial Justice (Oxford University Press, 2001, 2011) supplies historical context. Nelson transports us back in time as Riders recall the events while we see black-and-white stills interspersed with live-action footage and hear the sounds of an angry mob, splintering glass, and a burning bus. The music, ranging from atmospheric to gospel to civil rights anthems, underscores the participants' optimism, fear and ultimate triumph. This documentary about one of the turning points of the Civil Rights Movement is an essential purchase to be treasured along with the groundbreaking Eyes on the Prize (PBS).—Lisa Von Drasek, Bank Street College of Education, School for Children, New York