Freedom Riders Rebels with a Cause - 1400 Words

Freedom Riders: Rebels with a Cause â€Å"If not us, then who? If not now, then when? Will there be a better day for it tomorrow or next year? Will it be less dangerous then? Will someone else’s children have to risk their lives instead of us risking ours?† -- John Lewis May 16, 1961, to other Nashville students considering joining the Freedom Rides John Lewis, a young black man who was born in the South, participated in the Freedom Rides. His statement rang true when Nashville students were faced with the decision of joining the Freedom Rides in their fight for civil rights. This historical event paved the way for racial equality throughout the United States. The Freedom Rides were a vital part of history because it set the foundation†¦show more content†¦The Rider’s cause was fortified by two recent Supreme Court rulings. In Sarah Keys v. Carolina Coach Company, the Supreme Court declared that racial segregation was contrary to the purpose of the Interstate Commerce Act. Going even further, in a 1960 Supreme Court ruling, the case Boynton v. Virginia declared that segregation within interstate transportation violated the Interstate Commerce Act and was thereby illegal under federal law. The Court’s ruling deemed segregation in other public areas such as bus terminals, restaurant, and restrooms to be a vi olation of the Interstate Commerce Act as well. Despite these Supreme Court rulings, the Interstate Commerce Commission failed to enforce these decisions. It was apparent that the changes were to be brought about only if the issue was forced. With this in mind, the Freedom Rides took place. Thirteen riders boarded two buses for a journey that began in Washington D.C. and scheduled to end in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Freedom Rides were met with strong opposition, coming from the Riders’ families or from those who wanted to uphold segregation. This rings true when a Berkeley student, John Dolan made the decision to join the Riders in theirShow MoreRelatedThe Spanish American War Was A Conflict Between Spain And America919 Words   |  4 PagesS. government. The war started with Cuba struggling to gain their independence from Spain. However, Spain rejected their notions by brutally stopping the Cuban rebellion. Newspapers began portraying Spain as spiteful and the sympathy for the Cuban rebels rose in America. William Randolph Hearst was responsible for exaggerating the truth in the papers about the fight for independence from Spain. Hearst invented a term called â€Å"yellow journalism†, which exploits, distorts, or exaggerates the news toRead MoreTheir Lives Were Yearning Equality1433 Words   |  6 Pagesshe marries, Logan Killicks and Jody Starks; the latter, her second husb and, and the former her first (Rider 1). Some believe that these circumstances create certain events, where Janie changes herself for the better. 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The following essay looks at how those influences helped to shape a new genre in the film industry, sighting Easy Rider as a main example, and suggests some possible reasons for the relatively short popularity of the genre. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;â€Å"The standard story of the counterculture begins with an account of the social order against which it rebelled, aRead MoreThe Declaration Of Independence And Independence1501 Words   |  7 PagesThe Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence is one of the most important document in U.S history that helped led to this country s independence from Great Britain. The Declaration of Independence helped us earn our freedom to become an independent nation with our own rules. However, without Thomas Jefferson and the rest of their concerns and reasons for separating this wouldn t have been possible. 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