Freedom Riders
Path Creator: Lefstein-Berusch
This path will link you to many resources and ideas for teaching the film, Freedom Riders.
This is the WGBH site for the Freedom Riders film. On this site, you can view the film, specific clips from the film, and interviews with key people not featured in the film. The site also features an interactive map of the rides and a timeline of the civil rights movement.
Here is where you can download the Freedom Riders study guide, Democracy in Action. Also on this site, you can look at specifically themed segments of the Freedom Riders film. The site also links you to the 2011 student rides, a commemoration of the 50th year anniversary of the original Freedom Rides.
This will link you to the full text of the 1946 Morgan v. Virginia case in which the Supreme Court desegregated interstate busing.
This will link you to the full text of the 1960 Boynton v. Virginia case in which the Supreme Court desegregated bus station facilities.
These portraits of Freedom Riders by Charlotta Janssen are from an exhibit at the Nashville Public Library, Threads of a Story: History Inspiring Art.
From the library's website: "Charlotta Janssen’s portraits of 1956 Bus Boycotters and 1961 Freedom Riders are based on mug shots of these jailed heroes and other historic photos of the period."
"We Challenged Jim Crow" is a primary source document, an account of the 1947 Journey of Reconciliation by two CORE leaders, Bayard Rustin and George Houser.
This site shows clips of the CBS Report, "Who Speaks for Birmingham," which was created and broadcast in 1961, the same year as the Freedom Rides. There are two clips on this site, Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth and Mrs. George Bridges. These interviews show the racial divide between the white and black communities of Birmingham, Alabama.
This website provides a fairly comprehensive list of Jim Crow laws and customs that will help set an historical context for the Freedom Rides.
This site also contains a long list of Jim Crow laws in a format that is easily accessible to students.
This award-winning documentary traces the history of the American civil rights movement. Excerpts of protest music were taken from the Volume 4: No Easy Walk.
One of three articles about protest music today.
One of three articles about protest music today.
One of three articles about protest music today.
A New York Times review of Lynskey's history of protest music.
You can use this strategy with films, short stories, novels, or non-fiction text.
This video features footage from the 1961 Freedom Rides with a moving performance of the song from the movement, "Buses are a-Coming." This song is discussed in the Freedom Riders film.
You can inspire your students by showing them the blogs created by students who rode in the 2011 50th anniversary rides. This link is to blogs by Doaa Dorgham, one of the student riders.
