Freedom Ride of 1961

-
On May 4, 1961 thirteen Freedom Riders began bus trip through the South to confront the injustices of Jim Crow and racism.  It turned out to be a trip they would never forget.

Do you want to ride or die?  Is it worth the trip?  Can they be that bad?  Those are the questions I imagine they asked on that spring day in 1961.  Yes, they saw the news reports, and heard testimonies in the training sessions that would prepare them for this trip south.  However, there is no experience like experiencing it for yourself:


Photo Sources:  NY Times, black past.org, and southern spaces.org

Comments

Deb Sistrunk Nelson said…
May we never forget our history.
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 8:31:00 PM
Stephen A. Bess said…
Amen to that. We must remember and learn from it. We must tell our children and they must tell there children.
Wednesday, May 05, 2010 8:58:00 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

DC Legend: Chicken Wings & Mumbo Sauce

-
Image
Mumbo Jumbo Noun. 1. Confusing or incomprehensible language or activity. 2. An obscure ritual or incantation. [Mandingo origin.] American Heritage Dictionary Of the English Language Mumbo sauce? Anyone who has ever traveled east of the Anacostia River has heard the term, Mumbo Sauce. What do I mean by east of the river? I mean if you have ventured anywhere near Benning Road, Wheeler Road, Southern Avenue, or Minnesota Avenue in North/Southeast Washington, D.C. There is no way that you can go into any Korean owned and operated “Kerry-Out” [ trans. Carry-Out food ] in DC and not hear someone order french fries with chicken wings and Mumbo Sauce. Impossible! Some like it on the chicken and others (like me) like it on the side. I’ve always thought of Mumbo Sauce as a DC thang, but where did it really come from?  Actually, Mumbo Sauce originated on Chicago's Southside in the early 1950s by a man named Argia B. Collins, who was known for his famous ribs and barbeque Mumbo Sauce. N...
Read more

Remembering Linda Pollin

-
Image
I grew up in the  Linda Pollin Memorial Housing Projects.   First of all, I did not know that it was built in memory of Abe Pollin's daughter.  In fact, I didn't even know the name, Abe Pollin.  I was a child, so I thought it was just a name given to the apartments.  At the time, my siblings and I had no idea that we lived in a housing project.  Well, the complex had a swimming pool, and the grounds were well kept. Also, it didn't resemble the well known surrounding projects like  Valley Green , Condon Terrace , or Wahler Place . The manager was Ms. Royster who was sort of a no-nonsense type of landlord based on the conversations I heard from grownups.  However, she seemed nice; plus, we all played with and knew her son, John. Well, although Mr. Pollin passed away back in 2009, I would still like to thank him for building the "LP" as we used to call it.  When I became old enough to learn that it was built by Mr. Pollin to honor his ...
Read more

Frederick Douglass and his Winning Smile

-
Image
Who knew that Frederick Douglass had a great smile?  Whenever I think of Slaves or Freedman, I think of individuals who have been mistreated and worn.  However, this is not true.  Read this description of Frederick Douglass around the time of this death: His appearance on the platform was imposing. His height was over 6 feet and his weight was fully 200 pounds. His complexion was swarthy rather than black. His head was covered with a great shock of white hair. A large head, low forehead, high cheekbones, and large mouth, with gleaming white teeth , were some of the noticeable characteristics of his appearance. As a speaker he was characterized by his earnestness. He made but few gestures and used simple language. My thoughts and imagination: As I look at his face, I imagine him in a happy moment smiling or laughing.  Looking at his eyes, I can imagine that is eyes are barely visible depending on how wide his smile.  I imagine him at his most joyful time...
Read more