1. Freedom Riders Letter from a Birmingham Jail
Standing Firm
Freedom Riders
Letter from a Birmingham Jail

2. Freedom Riders (Bus One)
CORE, led by James Peck, wanted to test Kennedy’s willingness to hold up desegregation on interstate buses
They hoped to invoke a national violent response to force the government to be more active
The bus was stopped by a white mob at the Alabama state line, the riders were beat
The bus, in Birmingham, was fire bombed and the ride had to conclude
Freedom Riders (Bus One)

3. Freedom Riders (Bus Two)
The second bus continued on into Alabama where they met violence in Anniston
Their bus was firebombed outside of town
Greyhound refused to continue to bus CORE member from that point
This will set up A second wave of rides from Nashville
Freedom Riders (Bus Two)

4. The riders from Nashville were met in Alabama by police who beat them and drove them back to Tennessee
When the riders got upon another bus, the driver refused to drive them due to fearing for his life
The riders, in protest, waiting in a whites only terminal for 18 hours
Only after a call from Robert Kennedy, did the bus driver continue with his route
Second Ride

5. JFK, not trusting the word of the Alabama police, sent in US Marshals to support the riders directly
He only did this after the riders from Nashville were met at the Alabama line with lead pipes and baseball bats
Segregation will be banned at all interstate travel facilities
Kennedy’s Response

6. Robert Kennedy
John F Kennedy
Which Kennedy did more?