Freedom Riders 50th Anniversary

The Freedom Riders of the civil rights activists who rode buses between the United States isolated in the southern United States Supreme Court decision against Virginia Boynton (1960) test. This is one of the crucial moments in the history of civil rights that began in the streets of the capital, with courage and freedom rides to protest against the historical policy of racial discrimination. There was a time when you do not allow blacks in the South to sit in front of a bus. Black and white can not sit side by side. On Wednesday, Mayor Vincent Gray honored three Freedom Riders for their courage. Rose more than 400 civil rights activists bus 1961 to challenge the rules of Jim Crow travel, common bus, special stores and waiting rooms and other race-based. When the first 13 Freedom Riders are planning a trip for two to Washington, DC, have through two buses in the Deep South.
Hank Thomas was just 19 when he boarded the bus. They have no idea of ​​any form of violence. But violence comes after ten days. Outside Anniston, Alabama, and Thomas was the bus was surrounded by the Ku Klux Klan and the fire he and five others were burned alive about an hour and after several in Birmingham, the second bus carrying seven others -.. It was through the pipes and sticks James. Beck lost six teeth and consciousness. Diane Nash was 22 young years) at Fisk University in Nashville. Recruited ten new students and the second wave of Freedom Riders headed toward Alabama.