MDAH FacebookJackson, Mississippi
You and the other Freedom Riders are determined to continue the journey. With reinforcements you enter Mississippi, under protection the Mississippi National Guard. When they arrive at the Jackson bus terminal, the Riders are arrested and charged with breach of peace for attempting to use segregated waiting rooms and restrooms. The Riders are taken to the county jail, where some refuse to pay bail. By the end of the summer, hundreds of Freedom Riders have been arrested and jailed. With local jails full, Freedom Riders are sent to Parchman, Mississippi’s notorious state penitentiary. Some Freedom Riders post bail and are released, while others spend months in the prison awaiting trial.
As the Freedom Rides continue through the summer, the Kennedy administration feels increasing pressure to respond to the protest. Eventually, the federal government outlaws racial discrimination in interstate bus transit. You have helped achieve a significant victory for the civil rights movement.
To learn more about the Freedom Rides, visit the Mississippi 50th Freedom Riders Reunion Web site.