Freedom Riders Mural Video Tour

Описание: Welcome to the Freedom Riders mural at the Wells Fargo Tower Motor Bank in Birmingham, Alabama. This location – a former Trailways bus depot, is today a civil rights landmark honoring activists known as the Freedom Riders. Read more at https://stories.wf.com/wells-fargo-mu...

Transcript:
Welcome to the Freedom Riders
mural at the Wells Fargo Tower
Motor Bank in Birmingham,
Alabama.
This location, a former Trailways
bus depot, is today
a civil rights landmark
honoring activists known as
the Freedom Riders.
The Freedom Riders traveled by bus
through the American South to
protest segregated bus terminals
and other facilities used
for interstate travel.
The Freedom Rides were organized by
James Farmer, director
of the Congress of Racial
Equality.
The organization, known as CORE,
was dedicated to ending
racial segregation in the United
States through nonviolent
direct action.
Between May and November of 1961,
more than 400 people
joined the 60-plus Freedom
Rides on busses that crisscrossed
the South.
This image, from May 4th, shows
James Farmer and members of
CORE with a map of the route
to challenge segregation
in bus terminals, restaurants
and restrooms in the South.
On May 14th, the first bus
arrived in Anniston, Alabama,
and was firebombed.
Riders were violently attacked.
That same day, passengers
on a second bus arrived
at the Trailways bus depot
in Birmingham.
Passengers including James Peck
and Charles Person faced violent
attacks.
Well, after we had found
out the bus, the Greyhound bus
had been set on fire.
We knew that they were capable of
anything. We were on the very
first seat, on the bus, on the right
hand side when we refused
to go then that really made them
angry and they want to move us back.
And they punched it and forced us
towards the back of the bus.
It was eight of them.
We were outnumbered and
it was frustrating for them because,
like, we didn't fight back.
Their level of violence escalated
when James Peck and Dr. Bergman
came to our rescue.
That really made him angry to think
the white men would rescue these
students.
And that's why they, I think they
beat James in the Dr. Bergman so
ferociously because
they came to our aid.
On May 15th, Reverend Fred
Shuttlesworth and Freedom
Riders discussed plans at
the Greyhound Bus Terminal in
Birmingham.
The violence from the prior day was
so serious that it threatened
to prematurely end their entire
campaign, refusing to surrender,
students from Nashville, Tennessee
traveled to Birmingham to
join the Freedom Riders campaign.
Nine courageous students, including
Catherine Burks-Brooks, were
arrested in Birmingham and
taken back to the Tennessee state
line on May 17.
We thought that the rise it
should continue.
We had desegregated
Nashville and
we thought that Blacks
should have a say
on what they ride
on and where they ride
to.
The rides finally resumed on May
20th, when a Greyhound bus
departed from Montgomery with police
escort.
Faced with more violence in
Montgomery, Freedom Riders,
including Hank Thomas, sought
protection at a safe house.
The Freedom Rides
and the other acts, what
helped change this country.
Sixty years ago,
we were doing things
that made it possible for us to
have the Black man as President,
a Black woman,
as Vice President, the
whole situation with reference to
Black folks today is
a world
of difference.
Freedom Rides continued through the
summer and federal regulations,
banned segregation
for interstate travel in November
1961.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964
further outlawed discrimination
and segregation in public
facilities throughout
the United States.
Thank you to all the courageous
Freedom Riders of 1961
and especially Catherine
Burks-Brooks, Charles
Person and Hank
Thomas for their contributions
to this mural and
video tour.