Freedom Riders sharing a meal together. . .

[Stargleamer]

These are actual Freedom Riders, now elderly, sitting together decades after risking their lives to challenge segregation in the American South.

On May 4, 1961, they rode buses south to defy illegal segregation in terminal facilities.

— Raider (@iwillnotbesilenced.bsky.social) 2026-05-09T03:48:31.285Z

[Deuxcents]

1. I was just going into high school when I first heard of freedom riders but in a mocking way. Being from the south,

I had to see for myself the reports on tv of how they were treated, some died and this event and others that were coming soon, put me on a path much different than the one I was raised on. Just this morning, I got my copy of The 1619 Project out..going to start from the beginning as it’s been a while and the information is too detailed and important to just pick up where I left off. I’m determined to finish it this time.

[wnylib]

2. I have a DVD of actual films and newsreels of the Freedom Riders.

It shows them in training groups befire starting out, preparing for passive resistant self restraint against harrassment and heckling . They knew there would be problems, but some did not anticipate the level of violence that they encountered, including attempts to kill them by setting a bus on fire while they were in it..

The video shows people scrambling through windows, coughing and gasping, then being beaten by the crowd as they got out. You can see cops watching without interfering.

You can also see a young John Lewis in the video.

ETA: I remember seeing some of this on TV news when it happened. I was a young teen at the time. Horrified to see how viciously cruel people can be.