[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 87 (Friday, May 7, 2021)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 24477-24478]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-09852]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 87 / Friday, May 7, 2021 /
Presidential Documents
[[Page 24477]]
Proclamation 10201 of May 4, 2021
60th Anniversary of the Freedom Rides, 2021
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
On May 4, 1961, thirteen Americans set out on Greyhound
and Trailways buses from Washington, DC, to peacefully
protest the scourge of segregation. They came from 9
different States and the District of Columbia; they
were Black and white, men and women, ranging in age
from 18 to 61, sitting side by side in a simple
affirmation of shared humanity. They were teachers and
students, carpenters and architects, ministers and
servicemembers. Frances and Walter Bergman, Albert
Bigelow, Ed Blankenheim, Reverend Benjamin Elton Cox,
James Farmer, Genevieve Hughes, Jimmy McDonald, James
Peck, Joe Perkins, Charles Person, Hank Thomas, and a
21-year-old student at the American Baptist Theological
Seminary named John Lewis.
By the time of the first Freedom Rides, Thurgood
Marshall and other heroes of the early Civil Rights
Movement had already persuaded the Supreme Court to
strike down the devastating doctrine of 'separate but
equal,' which had given legal cover to the horrors of
Jim Crow for more than half a century. But for far too
many Americans, that promise of equality was slow to
arrive. As their buses arrived in each segregated town,
the Riders were brutally attacked by vicious, hateful
mobs of white supremacists. They were kicked and beaten
unconscious, assaulted with bats and batons, and
arrested under laws that had already been declared
illegal by the Supreme Court--but which festered
nevertheless. One of the two buses had its tires
slashed and windows smashed before it was firebombed.
The Freedom Riders remained devoted to nonviolence,
displaying extraordinary physical courage and
unflinching moral conviction. Despite the brutality
they faced, they were joined by five other Riders along
the route, and then by hundreds more joining similar
rides in the months to come. The public attention they
brought to a pernicious cancer in our society further
inspired millions of Americans across the country,
including generations of Americans who have continued
the fight for civil rights in the years since. Their
message of bravery, hope, and unity in diversity
continues to inspire us.
John Lewis was the first to withstand a physical
attack, just 6 days into the trip. It was not his first
act of courageous leadership and sacrifice, nor his
last. Across his lifetime of service in and out of
Government, John Lewis was the moral compass of our
Nation--though he absorbed the force of human nature's
cruelty, he emanated dignity and grace. On the
anniversary of his journey on the Freedom Rides, I am
reminded of the message he shared with me before he
passed away last summer: that we must stay focused on
the work left undone to heal this Nation. It is a call
to all Americans to follow the example he set.
My Administration is committed to advancing the values
and aspirations of John Lewis and the Freedom Riders.
On my first day in office, I signed an Executive Order
establishing a comprehensive initiative to address
racial equity and redress systemic racism in Federal
policies, laws, and programs. I also signed a
Memorandum stating that the Federal Government has a
responsibility to prevent racism, xenophobia, and
intolerance against anyone in the United States--as
well as an additional Executive Order on Preventing
[[Page 24478]]
and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender
Identity or Sexual Orientation. I have directed Federal
agencies to preserve and strengthen the sacred right to
vote using their existing legal authority. My
Administration also supports further legislation to
protect that most fundamental right--to make our
democracy more equitable and accessible for all
Americans, and to enact a new Voting Rights Act in John
Lewis's name.
Today, we honor the Freedom Riders who took a stand
against injustice 60 years ago. And we are inspired by
the power and purpose of a dedicated few who helped
spark a movement--to make us a better Nation, and to
build a more perfect union for all of us.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of
the United States of America, by virtue of the
authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws
of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 4, 2021,
as the 60th Anniversary of the Freedom Rides. I call
upon all Americans to participate in ceremonies and
activities that honor the Freedom Riders, those who
struggled for equal rights during the Civil Rights
Movement, and those working still to advance civil
rights across the Nation.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand
twenty-one, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and forty-fifth.
(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 2021-09852
Filed 5-6-21; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3295-F1-P