The Freedom Rides were a series of bus trips undertaken by civil rights activists in 1961 to challenge segregation laws in the Southern United States. The rides were organized by the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) with the goal of bringing attention to the lack of enforcement of desegregation laws in interstate transportation facilities, particularly bus terminals.

The activists, both Black and white, boarded buses bound for the South and intentionally violated the segregated seating arrangements by sitting together. They faced violence, harassment, and arrest along the way, but their actions drew national attention to the inequality and brutality of segregation in the South.

The Freedom Rides were a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement, demonstrating the power of nonviolent direct action and forcing the federal government to take a stronger stand against segregation. The rides ultimately led to the desegregation of interstate transportation facilities and helped pave the way for broader civil rights legislation in the years to come.