The freedom riders represented a crosssection of america black and white, young and old, religious and secular. Download the study guide, democracy in action meet the 2011 student freedom riders. It documents a sixmonth period in 1961 during which brave, determined black and white university students, travelling together by bus from washington, d. This film tells the powerful story of the freedom riders taking brave and decided actions to dismantle the structures of discriminationspecifically segregated interstate bus. The story of the freedom riders was broadcast around the world. This should be in every high school for students to watch and have an understanding about the civil rights struggle. He was interviewed in the documentary television series eyes on the prize. Please login or register to borrow, download, or purchase resources. Remember as a young girl, watching tv news reports about the freedom riders. A documentary about the freedom riders with interviews from participants. The inspiration american experience official site pbs. The film is based in part on the book freedom riders. Freedom riders, american civilrights demonstrators who engaged 1961 in nonviolent protests against segregation of public interstate buses and terminals in the south.
Download the study guide, democracy in action meet the 2011. Freedom riders a documentary from american experience coming. The freedom rides demonstrated the power of nonviolent direct action to achieve strategic victory. The purpose of the freedom rides was to deliberately violate the jim crow laws of the south that prohibited blacks and whites from mixing together. In 1961, the freedom riders traveled by bus through alabama and mississippi to challenge segregation at southern bus terminals.
He begins to sing a tracy chapman song softly as he glances out to the audience. The american experience freedom riders documentary is a great film to show students that shows in depth the struggles of the civil rights movement and the brave freedom riders who risked their safety to bring civil rights to the american south. The southern states had ignored the rulings and the. Freedom riders is the powerful, harrowing, and ultimately inspirational story of six months in 1961. The 2011 freedom ride will end in new orleans, a destination not reached by the original freedom riders bus. Watch freedom riders american experience official site pbs. Freedom riders a documentary from american experience. Along with the montgomery bus boycott of 1955 and the student lunch counter sitins of 1960, the freedom rides were one of the earliest demonstrations that gandhian principles of nonviolence could prove effective in the.
This is a 65 open ended question movie guide for the documentary film, freedom riders that pbs produced. This can be either a roughcut screening of your documentary film, or a consultation at the proposal stage. As much as were fulfilling what the freedom riders started 50 years ago, we are making our own path. In freedom riders, a new documentary that airs this month on pbs, filmmaker stanley nelson talks with the people who witnessed the rides, which. Freedom riders article about freedom riders by the free. Kcpt is kansas city pbs featuring pbs kids, local events, news and shows about the kc metro. Freedom riders which premieres on pbs stations monday night begins as a thorough portrait of the first group of men and women mostly young, both black and white who signed up in. Former civil rights activists raised in the south recount how their commitment to nonviolence was sorely tested by the extreme hostility and mob violence they encountered. Want to see what civil rights protesters went through to get laws changed. The documentary freedom riders will premiere on the acclaimed pbs series american experience on may 16, 2011, at 9. Mar 01, 2011 the freedom riders represented a crosssection of america black and white, young and old, religious and secular. Pbs american experience has an excellent episode on the freedom riders and the montgomery bus riots in the struggle to disband segragation in the deep south. Freedom riders by wgbh overdrive rakuten overdrive. Freedom riders is a 2 hour documentary produced as part of pbss american experience series that tells the dramatic story of the freedom ride project, a pivotal part of the civil rights movement.
If youre new to facing history, create your free account today. Support for the community outreach campaign is generously provided by the. Freedom riders is an inspirational story focused on the period from may to november 1961, when more than 400 black and white americans risked their lives to travel together throughout the deep south on buses and trains. Sloan foundation, the corporation for public broadcasting and pbs stations. Freedom riders rebroadcasts on american experience pbs in june 2014. Thomas armstrong, freedom rider janet braunreinitz, freedom rider marv davidoff, freedom rider albert gordon, freedom rider robert filner, united states representative and freedom rider bernard lafayette, freedom rider. This video contains content from pbs, who has blocked it in your country on grounds. Original funding for freedom riders provided by liberty mutual insurance, the alfred p. Freedom riders is the powerful harrowing and ultimately inspirational story from awardwinning filmmaker stanley nelson of this six months in 1961 that changed america forever. Freedom riders revisiting the 1961 freedom rides pbs. In 1961, he participated in a freedom ride from nashville, tennessee, to birmingham, alabama. Fifty years ago, in may 1961, the freedom riders rode into the segregated south to fight for equal rights. Virginia 1960, which ruled that segregated public buses were unconstitutional. Ahead of the riders arrival, bull connors police department has struck a deal with the ku klux klan.
The kennedy administration found itself on the defensive. Saw this on pbs years ago, and it was still great viewing. Freedom riders questions name michaela hardy \video. Freedom riders is the powerful harrowing and ultimately inspirational story of six months in 1961 that changed america forever from may until november 1961, more than 400 black and white americans risked their lives and many endured savage beatings and imprisonment for simply traveling together on buses and trains as they journeyed through the deep south. From may until november 1961, more than 400 black and white americans risked their lives and many endured savage beatings and imprisonment for simply traveling together on buses and trains as they journeyed through the south. Freedom rider bernard lafayette sings a song before the 2011 student freedom ride. Freedom riders is a 2010 american historical documentary film, produced by firelight media for pbs american experience. Get the latest on new films and digital content, learn about events in your area, and get your weekly fix of american history. The original group of freedom ridersseven african americans and six whitesleft washington, d.
Additional funding for freedom riders is provided by lynn bay dayton, nordblom family foundation, the corporation for public broadcasting, and public television viewers. Frederick leonard was an american activist who was involved in the civil rights movement. Gaining impressive access to influential figures on both sides of the issue, it chronicles a chapter of american history that stands as an astonishing testament to the accomplishment of youth and what can result from the incredible. Freedom riders pbs documentary movie guide by ncelateach tpt. This inspirational documentary is about a band of courageous civil rights activists calling themselves the freedom riders. From may until november 1961, more than 400 black and white americans risked their lives and many endured savage. Download democracy in action, a study guide to freedom riders. The 2011 student freedom ride, which was sponsored by pbs and american experience, commemorated the 50th anniversary of the original freedom rides. The children shall lead freedom rides documentary on vimeo. Freedom riders dvd,this inspirational documentary is about a band of courageous civil rights activists calling themselves the freedom riders. Freedom riders is made possible in part by a major grant from the national endowment for the humanities.
Use this guide to the documentary film freedom riders to help students explore the stories of the brave. Voices of freedom paperback,in this monumental volume, henry hampton, creator and executive producer of the acclaimed pbs series eyes on the prize, and steve fayer, series writer, draw upon nearly one thousand interviews with civil rights activists, politicians, reporters, justice department officials, and hundreds of ordinary people who took part in the struggle, weaving a fascinating. Scroll down for a free link pbs has posted for the movie. In 1961, segregation seemed to have an overwhelming grip on american. Stanley nelson the film chronicles the story behind hundreds of civil rights activists called the freedom riders who challenged the racial. The freedom riders, aware that their nonviolent protest would elicit violence from some southerners attempting. May 05, 2011 in freedom riders, a new documentary that airs this month on pbs, filmmaker stanley nelson talks with the people who witnessed the rides, which were organized by the congress of racial equality. Freedom riders features testimony from the riders themselves as well as from state and federal government officials, and journalists who witnessed the rides firsthand. Stanley nelson chronicles the journey of a group of individuals, known as the freedom riders, whom fought for the rights of african americans to have the same amenities and access as the caucasians. It captures the racism in the deep south so well and was told in such a telling way. Astiz calls it a symbolic victory and a new dawning of youth activism in america. Now, you can watch the story behind the courageous band of civil rights activists who challenged segregation in the american south. Based on raymond arsenaults acclaimed book freedom riders. This inspirational documentary is about a band of courageous civilrights activists calling themselves the freedom riders.
The program is just under two hours and could be cut apart over the course of several days with opportunities for students to discuss in pair. The story of the civil rights movement interstate busing protest campaign. Freedom riders film wikipedia, the free encyclopedia freedom riders were african american and white protesters, many associated with the congress of racial equality. Freedom riders premieres on pbs open society foundations. The twohour documentary is based on raymond arsenaults book freedom riders. He sings furtively as if afraid someone will catch him singing the words. After deciding to participate in the freedom rides in may 1961, jim zwerg called his parents for support only to be told that he was killing his. Freedom fighters documentary film by jamie meltzer kickstarter. Freedom riders is a powerful movie about a significant, nationchanging moment in the united states. Gaining impressive access to influential figures on both sides of the issue, it chronicles a chapter of american history that stands as an astonishing testament to the accomplishment of youth and what can result from the incredible combination of personal conviction and.
Scroll down for a free link pbs has posted for the movi. Their plan was to reach new orleans, louisiana, on may. On may 14, at the trailways bus terminal in birmingham, the other group of core freedom riders are greeted by a hostile mob. Freedom riders script booklets civil rights primary sources pages 98103 or teacher resource cd copies of takehome script teacher resource cd performance cd and cd player or computer with a cd drive and speakers introduce the literature explain to students that the word civil comes from the latin. Freedom riders, utahs freedom riders highlights the contributions many utahns have made toward creating a more just and equitable society. Kennedy addressed the voice of america claiming that great progress had been made on the issue of race relations, and that a person of color might one day be president of the united states. Developed in partnership with pbss american experience, the guide democracy in action supports educators and students in their use of the documentary freedom riders. Freedom riders were civil rights activists who rode interstate buses into the segregated southern united states in 1961 and subsequent years to challenge the nonenforcement of the united states supreme court decisions morgan v. With raymond arsenault, genevieve houghton, gordon carey, derek catsam. Students met with civil rights leaders along the way and traveled with original freedom riders such as ernest rip patton, joan mulholland, bob singleton, helen singleton, jim zwerg, and charles.
Watch freedom riders online for free free technology for. From may until november 1961, more than 400 black and white. From may until november 1961, more than 400 black and white americans risked their livesand many. A onetime consultation on your own film project by stanford documentary film professor jamie meltzer director of freedom fighters. Freedom riders is the powerful harrowing and ultimately inspirational story of six months in 1961 that changed america forever. Fifty years ago, in may 1961, the freedom riders rode into the segregated. They were a brave lot and now its a great dvd explaining the why, who and where. Freedom riders pbs documentary movie guide by ncelateach. Applications for education if you do not have the time to show the entire documentary in your classroom, the american experience freedom riders website has many excerpts that you can watch. Throughout the 1960s, utahns of all colors carried out the fight for civil rights. At a twoday forum at the thurgood marshall center in northwest, joan browning, freedom rider who grew up in georgia, 64, and reginald green, who was. The story behind a courageous band of civil rights activists called freedom riders who in 1961 challenged segregation in the american south.
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