What is the significance of the Freedom Rides?

Question

What is the significance of the Freedom Rides?

Answer 1

The first Freedom ride was a test.  The supreme court had just declared that public transportation had to be desegregated (the Boynton v Virginia case in 1960) and some civil rights activists decided to press the point by taking a bus ride from Washington D.C. to New Orleans.  They were arrested... the local jurisdictions completely ignored the ruling.

But it didn't stop them.  Activists continued to make ride after ride.  Some of the buses had to be protected by state police, and in a number of cases even those police completely abandoned bus and riders to an angry mob.  They were often beaten, arrested, and even refused hospital care afterward.  But they kept on riding.

President Kennedy threatened governors with the use of national guard.  He called the riders unpatriotic because they were publicly embarassing America in front of the whole world.  And in the end, he had ANOTHER desegregation order issued.  The activists had made their point and won.  All the cities and states were forced to fall in line.

This action lent a lot of credence to other non-violent protests.  It showed the desegregation was possible, and that it was something that people of all races wanted (half the riders were white, and they were often beaten WORSE by the mobs).  And it helped people to believe when they really needed to.

Thanks for asking... I hope that helps!