Forgotten History - Tuesday, August 20, 2002
"Little known facts and overlooked history"
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in the heart of New York and all of the precious lives
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At the end of World War II, the United States was a rigidly
segregated country but there were cracks beginning to show.
In 1946, the Supreme Court ruled that ruled that segregated
seating on interstate transportation was illegal. In 1947,
the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) decided to challenge
the racist system. The opposition was fierce and the riders
were jailed often ending up on chain gangs.
By 1961, the time was right to challenge America's Jim Crow
laws and CORE proposed the "Freedom Rides." CORE felt that
they could count on the racists to oppose the rides thereby
creating a crisis that would force the Federal Government to
intervene to enforce the law. It would be dangerous and CORE
members knew that they were risking their lives, but as CORE
director James Farmer maintained they were ready.  "When we
began the ride I think all of us were prepared for as much
violence as could be thrown at us. We were prepared for the
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On May 4th, 1961 they set out to New Orleans. In the upper
south they met no resistance but by the time they got to
Alabama they were met by an angry band of terrorists who
slashed the tires and burned the bus. In Birmingham it was
worse. The FBI, through its informant James Rowe, were well
aware that the Ku Klux Klan was waiting for them. So were
the Birmingham police, led by Chief of police Bull Conner,
and when they arrived they were severely beaten.
Despite the warnings there were no police to protect them.
Governor Patterson showed no mercy and blamed the riders.
So the terrorist attacks went on. The "Freedom Riders" were
determined to continue and were joined by a group of Nash-
ville students. They were met by hostility and were arrested
and sent back to Tennessee. But the riders were fearless and
immediately returned to Birmingham ready to continue the
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Meanwhile, their plight became international news and
"Freedom Riders" left Birmingham on May 20th determined to
continue. State officials had promised Attorney General Robert
Kennedy they would be protected, but by the time they reached
Montgomery there were no state police in sight. Seeing a mob,
the riders feared for their lives, but Jim Zwerg, a white man,
bravely walked out of the bus and was nearly beaten to death.
He still suffers from the effects but his courage was un-
deniable. Others including Justice Department official John
The situation seemed to be out of control and federal inter-
vention finally saved the day with Governor Patterson declar-
ing martial law. Robert Kennedy called for a cooling off
period but the riders refused. They would continue on. So
they set off to Jackson, Mississippi but  Kennedy had made a
deal with Mississippi officials. They were supposed to be
protected, but upon arriving they were arrested. Kennedy had
caved in. It was a cowardly decision by the Attorney General
and the riders were sentenced for 60 days for exercising
their constitutional rights. They never finished their trip
but their courage showed the power of civil disobedience and
in the end justice would prevail and terrorism would be
defeated. It is another example of how people change things,
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