[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 80 (Thursday, May 19, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E752]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    TRIBUTE HONORING THE 55TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FREEDOM RIDERS WHO 
                BRAZENLY DESEGREGATED INTERSTATE TRAVEL

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. TERRI A. SEWELL

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 19, 2016

  Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to acknowledge the 
Freedom Rides Museum in Montgomery, Alabama in its commemoration of the 
55th anniversary of the Freedom Riders--the brave civil rights 
activists who peacefully fought against the unconstitutional public 
transportation segregation in the deep South in 1961.
  On May 14, 1961, Freedom Riders arrived in Anniston, Alabama on a 
Greyhound bus. They were met by an angry mob of nearly 200 white people 
who surrounded the bus and caused the driver to pass the bus stop. They 
were followed by the angry mob until the bus tires blew out which is 
when a bomb was thrown into the bus filled with peaceful civil rights 
activists. Barely escaping with their lives, the Freedom Riders watched 
the bus burst into flames and were then brutally beaten by members of 
the surrounding mob.
  A second bus traveled to Birmingham, Alabama. Those Freedom Riders 
were also met by angry mobs and were savagely beaten, some by metal 
pipes. The Birmingham Public Safety Commissioner at the time stated 
that he knew the Freedom Riders would be met with violence but posted 
no police protection because it was a holiday--Mother's Day.
  On May 20, 1961, it was the Montgomery, Alabama city line where the 
Govenor-appointed Highway Patrol abandoned the Freedom Riders they were 
charged to escort into the city. Their nonviolence was met with 
organized brutality of the worst kind. At the historic Montgomery 
Greyhound Station, the Freedom Riders were attacked as they exited by 
Jim Crow enthusiasts, beaten within inches of their lives by bats and 
iron pipes. Many riders were left for dead in the streets. Ambulances 
refused to transport the wounded to hospitals. Some members of the 
community stepped in, and tried to rescue the lives of those who dared 
challenge the unconstitutional Jim Crow laws of the South.
  It is my great honor to represent the 7th Congressional District--an 
area that is rich with the history of the young activists who defied 
systemic oppression, fought for the rights of others and asked for 
nothing except recognition as humans in return. These individuals 
continue to inspire me and the work I do day after day.
  In commemoration of the 55th anniversary, I want to recognize the 
Freedom Riders who risked their reputations and lives for the humanity 
of others. This diverse group of young people believed in persistence 
for obtaining equality and justice for all people and inspired millions 
to take a stand for their own beliefs of equity. The Freedom Riders 
made a daring choice in 1961--to fight against segregation and 
oppression in an innovative way that changed the course of American 
history forever.
  The valiant efforts of Freedom Riders such as Charles Person, William 
Harbour, Catherine Burks-Brooks, Bernard Lafayette, Jr., Ernest ``Rip'' 
Patton, Jr., Kwame Leo Lillard, Frances Wilson Canty, Allen Cason Jr., 
David Dennis, Larry Hunter, Alphonso Petway, Kredelle Petway, Betty 
Daniels Rosemond, Mary Jean Smith, Doratha Smith-Simmons, Willie 
Thomas, Jean Thompson, Joan C. Browning and Etta Simpson Ray led the 
charge to the ultimate desegregation of the bus system in Montgomery 
and the unification of a people to continue to fight for their rights.
  The Freedom Rides Museum in Montgomery, AL serves as a strong 
cornerstone in the narrative of the role of Alabama in the Civil Rights 
Movement. I want to thank the Alabama Historical Commission and its 
director Lisa Jones for their role in safeguarding Alabama's historic 
buildings and sites such as the Freedom Rides Museum. A special thanks 
to the leadership of Museum director Dorothy Walker and the amazing 
supporting staff members of the Freedom Rides Museum for their efforts 
in honoring the past and preserving the present for future generations 
to learn. The Freedom Rides Museum could not have been what it is 
without support from community members as well such as Judge Myron 
Thompson who helped save the building that is now the Museum as well as 
Johnnie Carr, former President of the Montgomery Improvement 
Association for all of her support as well as Louretta Wimberly of the 
Black Heritage Council. A special thanks to historian Dr. J. Mills 
Thornton who played a pivotal role in the creation of the Museum.
  The Freedom Riders are quintessential examples of how change can 
happen when we work together and fearlessly stand for what is right. I 
give us all the charge to--like the Freedom Riders, continue to battle 
against inequality and stand strong by our great nation's principles of 
democracy, liberty and justice for all.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in commemorating the 55th Anniversary 
of the Freedom Riders who in the summer of 1961 dared to make a 
difference and forever changed America for the better.

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