Freerider

1961may 14 Sunday, mother's day, angry whites blocked a greyhound bus carrying black and white passengers. The attackers threw stones and bricks at vehicles, cut tires, smashed windows with pipes and axes, and threw incendiary bombs through the broken windows. When smoke and flames filled the bus, thugs surrounded the door. "Burn them alive," someone shouted, "Blow up those damn niggers." An exploded fuel tank and state police fired warning shots, forcing the mob to retreat and letting passengers escape from hell. Even so, someone was hit by a baseball bat while fleeing, and the story ended.

196 1 In the spring of, black and white civil rights activists took the bus * * * The script and narrative of apartheid policy in the hinterland of the south: Marianne Hompetos provided Corbis, Getty pictures and clips of the Library of Congress provided by the Smithsonian Folklore Society. Edu/ Folklore Video: A few hours later, in this rebellion,

On the interactive map, ride freely.

Along the route of Freedom Riders, black and white passengers on a commuter bus were brutally beaten after entering the white waiting rooms and restaurants at Birmingham and Aniston bus terminals in Alabama. The bus passengers who were attacked that day were all free passengers. 196 1 year, among more than 400 volunteers, they traveled in the south for seven months by regular shuttle bus to test a ruling of the Supreme Court in 1960, which declared the interstate passenger isolation facilities illegal.

After news reports and photos of burning buses and bloody attacks, in the south, more people came forward and risked their lives to challenge the racial status quo in this country. Today, Eric Etheridge, a senior magazine editor, paid heartfelt tribute to the road warriors who destroyed the peace: 196 1 portrait of the Mississippi Freedom Knight. This book collects photos of 80 freelancers recently taken by Etheridge, and puts them together with photos of their arrest in 196 1, including interviews with activists, who reflect on their experiences.

Etheridge grew up in Carthage, Mississippi, focusing on free riders who boarded the bus to Jackson, Mississippi from late May to mid-September. At that time, he was only 4 years old and knew nothing about the racial upheaval around him. But he clearly remembers that when African-Americans used another entrance, he used one entrance to enter his doctor's office, and when black people sat on the balcony, he sat in the orchestra of the local cinema.

"Looking back," Etheridge said, "I can understand what South African white photographer Gilian edelstein said:' In South Africa, apartheid gives people the right to enjoy huge and direct privileges. The "Freedom Knight" wants to be part of the effort to change America. "Future Congressman John Lewis was arrested for his behavior. (Provided by Mississippi Department of Archives and History) Representative John Lewis of Georgia. (Eric Etheredge, excerpted from Breaking the Peace: 196 1 Portrait of Freedom Riders in Mississippi, Atlas) Mark photo of Freedom Rider Miller Green. (Provided by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History) After being arrested at a bus stop, Miller Green of Chicago spent 39 days in a prison in Mississippi: "We crowded together like cows, with no lights and no air, as a punishment for reciting sermons." (Eric Etheredge, from Breaking the Peace: A Portrait of Freedom in Mississippi 196 1) Rider, Atlas Company) Photo of Joan plain, a free rider. (Provided by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History) "I can't stand being silent about things I care about," said Joan praun of new york, who was arrested with her sister. Their mother was shocked by their behavior at first, and she was proud to be introduced as the mother of free riders. (Eric Etheredge, excerpted from Breaking the Peace: 196 1 Portrait of the Mississippi Freedom Knight, Atlas) Helen O 'Neill Macara's Mark Chao Y (provided by the Mississippi Archives and History Department) was held in Jackson Prison for ten days with prisoners accused of prostitution and murder, from a yellow city in Ohio. (Eric Etheredge, taken from Breaking the Peace: 196 1 Portrait of Freeriders in Mississippi, Atlas) Mark photo of Freerider Alfonso Pateway. The pastor (provided by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History) recalled, "I was alone in the waterwheel for a while." . Alfonso Petway of Mobile, Alabama was arrested in a "white" cafeteria at the age of 16: "It was a terrible moment. I have heard the horror story of someone missing. " (Eric Etheredge, excerpted from Breaking the Peace: 196 1 Portrait of the Mississippi Freedom Knight, Atlas Company) A few years ago, Etheredge, who lived in new york City and worked for Rolling Stone and Harper Company, began to look for a project and used his budding photography skills. When he visited Jackson with his parents in 2003, he was reminded that a lawsuit forced him to set up. In 2002, the organization published more than 300 arrested photos of free riders on the Internet. "The police cameras caught something special," Itrich said, adding that the photos were "an amazing supplement to the visual history of the civil rights movement." The mission of apartheid has produced an indelible respect for radical riders.

Nearly 75% of riders are between 18-30 years old. About half are black; A quarter are women. Their facial expressions imply their determination, contempt, pride, vulnerability and fear. I am fascinated by these pictures and want to bring them to more audiences. Today, I want to find riders, look at their faces and take pictures of them. "He used information and arrest documents on the Internet to track riders and then told them to calm down." My best way to break the ice is: "I have a photo of you 196 1 year. Did you see it? " Even people who tend to be cautious will be amused and even think that it still exists.

Most riders are college students; Many people, such as bishops and priests, and the team of students in the theological seminary of Yale University, have religious beliefs. Some people are active in civil rights organizations such as CORE. CORE initiated a journey of freedom and was founded in 1942 according to the principle of non-violence of Mahatma Gandhi. When launching the campaign, James Farmer, the core director, said that the purpose of riding a horse was "to create a crisis so that the federal government can enforce the law."

Volunteers from 40 states were trained in nonviolent strategies. People who are pushed, bumped, spit or spilled liquid when they hear the voice of racial discrimination are rejected.

Robert singleton remembers that as soon as he heard the knight's call, he was "inspired and ready to go." He and his wife Helen both took an active part in the NAACP and brought 12 volunteers from California. Singleton, a 73-year-old economics professor at Loyola Marymount University, said: "The spirit that permeated the air at that time is no different from the feeling that barack obama has rekindled among young people today." He said that although he has been talking about a "major radical game", he has never acted according to his beliefs. When my children ask me this question, how should I answer them? "He recalled the idea at that time. When he got on the bus in Montgomery, Alabama, he said to Etheredge, "I'm scared. "Black boys and girls are singing ... they are full of energy and fearless. Today, Akerberg recalled that he acquiesced and said "sir" to a prison official who "knocked 2 1". Soon after, I found a book written by US Attorney General Robert Kennedy, urging the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) to issue tough new laws and regulations and impose a fine of up to $500. Even after the order came into effect, there was still hardcore apartheid in 196 1 year 1 month 1 day; Nevertheless, the bus stop from the south of Bergen to the east still has "white" and "color" signs. " * * * "earlier criticized the freedom knights for their" incitement and provocation "and admitted that they" started a series of events that led to the order of the new international criminal court. "

Robert singleton linked these events to barack obama's election as president. He said that the legacy of cycling was "poetic". Singleton pointed out that Obama was born in August of 196 1, when riders were languishing in prisons and prisons in Mississippi, trying to "break the apartheid for everyone, especially children. When he came into this world, we put ourselves in danger for a child who will be our first black president. Photographer Eric Etheredge maintains a website, breakthrough Beach. , release information about free riders.