Freedom Riders on PBS

[BrianB]

Has anyone else watched the documentary about the freedom riders on PBS? I thought it was interesting to compare those freedom riders to the Soulforce equality riders. While the equality riders do face arrest at times the freedom riders endured one of the worst prisons in the south. The equality riders are free to travel on the state highways while the freedom riders often were not. I'm not trying to disparage what the equality riders do. I'm sure there are plenty of frightening moments for the equality riders. It just struck me that it is less dangerous for the equality riders in part because of what the freedom riders did back in the sixties.

[kara speltz]

Originally Posted by BrianB

Has anyone else watched the documentary about the freedom riders on PBS? I thought it was interesting to compare those freedom riders to the Soulforce equality riders. While the equality riders do face arrest at times the freedom riders endured one of the worst prisons in the south. The equality riders are free to travel on the state highways while the freedom riders often were not. I'm not trying to disparage what the equality riders do. I'm sure there are plenty of frightening moments for the equality riders. It just struck me that it is less dangerous for the equality riders in part because of what the freedom riders did back in the sixties.

Hi Brian: You're absolutely right, things have changed a great deal and our Equality Riders, thank God, don't face what the Freedom Riders faced. However, the worst experiences were in the deep south, Texas and Mississippi, where they were cavity searched and the police literally tried to run them out of town in Mississippi. It was the Freedom Rliders that inspired Jake to create the Equality Ride.

I remember being in Lynchburg with Rodney Powell who had been one of the Nashville Lunch Counter sit-in folks, and he shared with us that experience. He never could quite get used to the idea that the police were there to protect us, because of what he had gone through.

But I still have nothing but the ultimate respect for our Equality Riders to spend literally months preparing for and traveling around the country. And there's no question that they have brought about real change.

Courage is still courage, and commitment is still commitment. And I'm grateful to all who have taken risks to bring about change.

Lastly, let me say that everyone who supports Soulforce, should make sure that they catch the PBS documentary, because it is totally life changing.

Kara

[souly]

Haven´t watched that, but sounds interesting. When is it on, or was it just a one-off documentary?

[bnmoore]

It can be viewed online:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexpe...omriders/watch

Running time is just under two hours.

[Gennee]

One point to remember is that when you step outside the boundaries, there's always the chance of retaliation. Whatever the risk there are people would took that step forward and today society is better for it.




Gennee

[BrianB]

Originally Posted by bnmoore

It can be viewed online:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexpe...omriders/watch

Running time is just under two hours.

This was just so eye opening for me because I wasn't even born when the freedom riders started. I really do appreciate and believe in what the equality riders do. They are some amazing young people following the example of the freedom riders. Passive resistance works when people have the courage to stand up for their convictions.