Thirteen civil rights activists, dubbed “Freedom Riders,” began a bus trip through the South.  

The first Riders left Washington, D.C., on May 4, 1961, and was scheduled to arrive in New Orleans on May 17.  

The Riders rode interstate buses into the segregated southern United States in 1961 and subsequent years to challenge the non-enforcement of two U.S. Supreme Court decision, Irene Morgan v. Commonwealth of Virginia (1946) and Boynton v. Virginia (1960), which ruled that segregated public buses were unconstitutional. Watch this news report on Democracy Now!

Book Your Travel To ANY Destination

Use the interactive map below to search, compare and book hotels & rentals at the best prices that are sourced from a variety of platforms including Booking.com, Hotels.com, Expedia, Vrbo and more.  Search for ANY destination by clicking in the upper left corner of this map. You can also use the filter to fine tune your search, find restaurants, attractions and more!