Freedom Riders

Extent

3 folders

Legacy Description

1961; Materials related to Civil Rights activists called Freedom Riders who rode in interstate buses into the segregated southern United States to test the United States Supreme Court decision Boynton v. Virginia,1960 364 U.S. The first Freedom Ride left Washington D.C. on May 4,1961, and was scheduled to arrive in New Orleans on May 17. Riders were arrested for trespassing, unlawful assembly, violating state and local Jim Crow laws, etc. Most of the subsequent rides were sponsored by the Congress of Racial Equality CORE while others belonged to the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee SNCC, pronounced Snick. The Freedom Rides followed on the heels of dramatic "sit-ins" against segregated lunch counters conducted by students and youth throughout the South, and boycotts beginning in 1960.The United States Supreme Court's decision in Boynton v. Virginia Granted travelers the legal right to disregard local segregation ordinances regarding interstate transportation facilities. But the Freedom Riders' rights were not enforced, and were considered criminal acts throughout most of the South. For example, upon the Riders Arrival in Mississippi,their journey ended with imprisonment for exercising their legal rights in interstate travel, and similar arrests took place in other southern cities. Freedom Riders knew that they faced arrest by authorities determined to stop their protests and possible mob violence and before starting they committed themselves to a strategy of nonviolent resistance.; Coverage of civil rights activists who sought to desegregate interstate buses.

Additional Description

Arrangement

Arrangement of the General File series is alphabetical by subject, with document types and material from across the AFRO's regional offices interfiled. Subjects are primarily original description assigned by the creators of the collection over the history of its creation and use.

Terminology used in original folder titles evolved across many offices and generations of staff, resulting in similar collection content filed under varying terms. Researchers may benefit from searching a variety of related subjects and names.

Processing Information

This series has been processed using accelerated processing procedures. Accelerated procedures use a minimal approach to physical processing and metadata.

Physical folders have been sorted alphabetically by folder title, metal printing plates (called cuts) have been removed, damaged folders have been replaced, and the content of thick folders has been divided into multiple folders for physical stabilization.

Folder titles in the finding aid conform to written titles on the physical folders, but content was not verified. When folders are replaced or cuts removed, folder content may also be verified against the title. Married women’s names are added to the record if their names are missing from folder titles but are found in folder content. Content warnings have been added to folders whose content may be harmful to encounter. Condition notes have been added when condition issues were found that would affect access.

Accelerated processing does not typically include adding dates and document types to folder records. Metadata created before the processing project that began in 2023 is labeled “Legacy Description” in this finding aid.

For some large subjects in the series, more detailed processing was done to facilitate research. For such subjects, dates, document types, and other details may have been added to description.

Researchers may discover errors and gaps in the description, or folders that need content warnings or notes about documents found in fragile condition. Archives staff welcome information to help us improve collection description.