"Freedom Riders" Trailer

"Freedom Riders" comes to AMERICAN EXPERIENCE in May of 2011

In 1961, segregation seemed to have an overwhelming grip on American society. Many states violently enforced the policy, while the federal government, under the Kennedy administration, remained indifferent, preoccupied with matters abroad. That is, until an integrated band of college students—many of whom were the first in their families to attend a university—decided, en masse, to risk everything and buy a ticket on a Greyhound bus bound for the Deep South. They called themselves the Freedom Riders, and they managed to bring the president and the entire American public face to face with the challenge of correcting civil-rights inequities that plagued the nation.

Veteran filmmaker Stanley Nelson's inspirational documentary is the first feature-length film about this courageous band of civil-rights activists. Gaining impressive access to influential figures on both sides of the issue, Nelson chronicles a chapter of American history that stands as an astonishing testament to the accomplishment of youth and what can result from the incredible combination of personal conviction and the courage to organize against all odds. (Shari Frilot/Sundance Film Festival)

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• civil rights
• PBS
• WGBH
• Stanley Nelson
• Sundance Film Festival
• freedom rides

[parafleet]

Regarding this person on here who made a racist comment and turned most of you into attackers...ignore such people. Their job is to start a fight. Your job is not to fight. Good day.

[fenix12deer]

Hard to believe this was only 50 years ago. Every American should see this.

[underworldassasin]

I'm watching the freedom riders right now. The only cauc-asians I have respect for are the ones who helped blacks for freedom. Every other whites should just drop dead! No race is superior if you were that superior you wouldn't be dying in great numbers from cancer and other diseases you should never die or get affected by any diseases! that shows there's no race that has specialties or superiorities over an other race! We all die and go rot six feet under!

[bcount1]

Why is humanity loaded with so much fail?

[Jantv81]

Whites who think they are better than Black... just remember God created us all.. There should be no hatred in America. The fact that it existed makes me sick.

No one is better than anyone else. Never forget.

[albuquerquedias]

Those were really hard days and there's no reason to be ashamed because History turned a hard point there and for good !

[muzicluv143]

HI!!

[garyleesmith3]

Good luck other UW applicants:)

[BodyDustDream]

I'm not American, but after watching this film in my country, 2 days ago at "American Documentary Showcase 2011" - I felt ashamed, because I'm white.

[oliveberry13]

@Tremley4 Don't fill yourself with hatred, sir. There is no point in arguing, not all black people are what you make them out to be. It isn't the color of the skin that makes a person bad, it's the actions.

[Sistarovat]

Well, I'll have to disagree with you. It is a matter of private property. If a store owner or bus owner doesn't want someone of a particular race, ethnicity, or religion occupying his property, the government has no business telling that individual what he can and can't do with his property. If the government does that it can tell a Christian school that they can't "discriminate" against homosexual teacher.

[Escmymind]

@Sistarovat Yes, but that is a matter of privacy and dress code, not race.