Welcome The Freedom Riders

As they tested the new Supreme Court ruling banning segregation in interstate travel, getting to Jackson was not a given. The Alabama National Guard escorted the bus to the state line, where eight Mississippi national guardsmen boarded. From there, the Mississippi Highway Patrol escorted the bus along Highway 80 to Jackson. There, police officers awaited the bus at the Trailways terminal. White volunteers sat in the Black waiting area and Black volunteers sat in the White waiting area. When the volunteers refused to move, they were arrested and charged with “breach of peace.”

Pictured: A color photo of the collage of Freedom Rider mugshots on display at the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum.

Credit: Tom Beck