May 4 marked the 60th anniversary of the start of the Freedom Rides. Here are five things to know about the movement that helped change the course of the nation
Freedom Riders: 5 things to know on 60th anniversary
Updated 7:02 AM;
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By Shelia Poole The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (TNS) and Tribune Media Services
May 4 marks the 60th anniversary of the start of the Freedom Rides. Here are five things to know about the movement that helped change the course of the nation and the fight for equality.
What are the Freedom Rides?
In May 1961, the Congress of Racial Equality launched the Freedom Rides as a way challenge segregation on interstate buses and bus facilities like waiting rooms and dining counters. Groups of Black and white activists, many college students, would board Greyhound or Trailways buses and travel across the segregated South to test the law. The Freedom Rides lasted for seven months.