Freedom Riders: Documentary and Discussion

From May until November 1961, more than 400 black and white Americans risked their lives for simply traveling together on buses and trains as they journeyed through the Deep South. Deliberately violating Jim Crow laws, the Freedom Riders met with bitter racism and mob violence along the way, testing their belief in nonviolent activism. Based on Raymond Arsenault's book, Freedom Riders tells the story of six months that changed America forever. Brian Behnken, associate professor of history, will lead a discussion immediately following the film. Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Series.