Twelve Days in May: Freedom Ride 1961

Very powerful. I really enjoyed this book though it punched me in the gut repeatedly. Very inspiring, sometimes I feel like we are just not on the same level of protesting as our ancestors were. We are changing our facebook filters and lobbing angry tweets while they were being arrested, beaten up and risking their lives (without ever getting violent, btw) for the rights we enjoy today. This shouldn't be controversial but F*ck the KKK and F*ck racists. While we're at it, F*ck Nazis too! Since that is necessary in 2019. Jeez. I wish I could see how books like this depict the 2000s in a hundred years.

It's crazy to realize this happened barely 59 years ago. A short enough time ago for the horrible animals (Racists, KKK) to not only still show more be alive but to have passed on their sick beliefs to their children. (Peep the photo of the kids in the KKK outfits about 50% of the way through the book). There were cops, fbi agents, politicians, etc in this book harassing these protesters and watching the KKK set their bus on fire and beat them to a pulp! How easy we forget that the people sworn to protect, govern and lead us can be some of the most corrupt, angry and abusive. Their horrible beliefs and ideas didn't go away just because they clocked into work nor because of the law changing. To think that still can't be an issue 50 years later is laughable.

Obviously, this book, though short, gave me a lot of feelings and I thank it for that. I would suggest this book to EVERYONE. Even if you usually get bored reading about history, trust me, this book will keep you engaged. show less

For twelve days, an integrated group of intrepid civil rights activists challenged the practice of segregation on buses and in bus terminals in the South. Their journey began on May 4, 1961 in Washington, DC. Their destination was New Orleans, Louisiana. Their planned date of arrival was May 17 to celebrate the seventh anniversary of the Brown v Board of Education decision. This journey became known as the Freedom Ride.

The book does a wonderful job at reviewing the legal battles that preceeding this journey and clearly explains that although segregation in interstate buses and bus terminals had previously been ruled unconstitutional in prior Supreme Court cases, it was still the practice in southern states where Jim Crow ruled and show more where “most whites” expected “observance of tradition”.

During their 12 day journey, the riders not only integrate many destinations, they decide, when arrested, to fill the jails to make incarceration costly to the cities and states where segregation was practiced. The riders were physically beaten and denied services. Their bodies were attacked by Ku Klux Klansmen and their bus set alight. However, throughout their ordeal, there were small glimmers of hope that not all whites believed in segregation (including the white undercover officers who serve and protect the riders, a 12 year old white girl who aids injured bus passengers and white riders who endure all alongside their black counterparts). Although the violence stopped the riders from reaching New Orleans by bus as planned, they did make it to their destination and received a hearty welcome. This story is beyond inspirational and should be in every K-12 classroom in the United States.

In additional to the content, the highlights of the book include powerful black and white archival images as well as biographic information on each rider, a resourceful bibliography (including videos and websites), source notes and a section on places to visit. show less

This book presents the history of the Freedom Rides of May, 1961, when 13 civil rights activists rode interstate buses through the southern states to test a Supreme Court ruling that segregation of interstate transportation facilities was unconstitutional. This ruling had been ignored in many areas of the South. The Freedom Riders were a mixed group of African Americans, whites, men, women, young, and middle-aged. They left Washington, D.C., bound for New Orleans. At stops along the route, the Freedom Riders ignored the colored-only and whites-only designations. African American riders entered whites-only waiting rooms and facilities, while white riders entered colored-only designated areas. The riders made it as far as Alabama before show more mob violence made it too dangerous to continue. The organizers of the Freedom Rides were committed to nonviolent protest, and the riders were selected accordingly. Their courage and commitment to principle in the face of life-threatening violence was extraordinary. This book for a middle- and high-school audience is heavily illustrated with photographs. It includes biographical information about each of the Freedom Riders, providing details about their lives both before and after the Freedom Rides. Highly recommended. show less

This book is written like an action movie drama. Pulling you in, pulling you in. You can feel the tense emotions in the text. Stunning black and white photos reinforce the intensity of the text and leaves readers no way of blowing this story off as just dramatic language. The pages are put together in a non traditional way, not letting it feel like a text book story and more like news reporting with some text in all caps or offset from the rest of the paragraphs. Great book to use in tandem with shorter picture books for a project for african american history and the civil rights movement.

This is a quick and engaging read, with plenty of specifics. The tension slowly rises as the story unfolds, and I really appreciated the effort that went into distinguishing each person involved as an individual. The photos enhance the story, and I think the layout is particularly effective. Highly recommend for teens or adults.

A quick, well-researched read that details the Freedom Ride in 1961. It begins with context of Supreme Court cases when separate but equal doctrine was overturned, particularly in interstate travel. It details the travel of the Freedom Riders using two different bus companies to travel to New Orleans from Washington DC. With lots of primary photographs and well-researched, the book talks about nonviolence, organizing groups for change (CORE, SNCC) and snapshots of the people involved.

On May 4, 1961, thirteen activists - black and white, young and old, male and female - board two buses in Washington, D.C. for New Orleans, Louisiana. Their Freedom Ride will last just twelve days. But their mission is clear. The laws prohibiting segregation on buses crossing state lines and at bus stations are being violated. These Freedom Riders are determined to draw attention to the laws' lack of enforcement. But what starts as a peaceful protest turns violent as they travel deeper into the South.