To avoid further bloodshed (and bad publicity) in Mississippi, Robert Kennedy worked out a plan with Mississippi Senator James Eastland—police would guarantee the safety of the Freedom Riders and in exchange the Kennedy administration would not insist on enforcement of the Supreme Court’s ruling on interstate travel. By the end of the summer, 328 Freedom Riders had rolled into Mississippi by bus, train, and plane.
Pictured: A black and white photograph of CORE members volunteering to ride from New Orleans to Jackson. In the center, seven White members and one Black member raise their hands to volunteer. A Black woman is seated to the right of the group. In the background, a man records the meeting with a video camera while another takes notes.
Credit: Associated Press
