Freedom Riders

Cultural  

1. A group of northern idealists active in the civil rights movement. The Freedom Riders, who included both blacks and whites, rode buses into the South in the early 1960s in order to challenge racial segregation. Freedom Riders were regularly attacked by mobs of angry whites and received often belated protection from federal officers.

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Example Sentences

In Washington, the Freedom Riders had become an embarrassment to the Kennedy administration, which was being criticized in the European press for allowing the brutal attacks to happen.

From New York Times • Jul. 21, 2023

And we have Martin Luther King, and we have Rosa Parks, and we have the Freedom Riders.

From Slate • May 31, 2023

He supported the Freedom Riders, who travelled on buses in the Southern states challenging racial discrimination, and he idolised Martin Luther King.

From BBC • Apr. 25, 2023

"The first 50 people to arrive at the event will receive a free book from our Books Unbanned: From Freedom Riders to Freedom Readers campaign."

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2023

Freedom Riders stood out among the crowd, trying to bring an end to segregation between whites and blacks by traveling from Washington, D.C., to New Orleans.

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers