The Freedom Riders were a group of civil rights activists who rode interstate buses into the segregated southern United States to challenge the non-enforcement of desegregation laws. The Freedom Rides were organized by the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) in 1961, and the riders, both Black and white, faced violence and arrests as they sought to desegregate public transportation facilities.

The Freedom Riders aimed to test and challenge the Supreme Court decision in Boynton v. Virginia, which had ruled that segregation of interstate bus terminals was unconstitutional. Despite facing violent attacks and arrests by white supremacist mobs and law enforcement, the Freedom Riders continued their journeys to challenge segregation laws and practices.

Their actions garnered national and international attention and put pressure on the Kennedy administration to enforce desegregation laws. The Freedom Rides played a significant role in the civil rights movement, highlighting the injustices of segregation and inspiring further activism and change. The bravery and commitment of the Freedom Riders have been celebrated as a pivotal moment in the struggle for civil rights and racial equality in the United States.