In the spring and summer of 1961, they put their lives on the line, riding buses through the american south to challenge segregation in interstate transport. Free shipping get free shipping free 58 day shipping within the u. The saga of the freedom riders is an improbable, almost unbelievable story. Throughtout all these short stories, great emotions, attitudes, feelings and thoughts are being expressed and let out in a way that touches their readers strongly, well another nonfiction book.
I was a 19 yearold chemistry major at central state college. Freedom riders raymond arsenault oxford university press. This book is an amazing account of the freedom riders college students who braved jail, beatings, and indeed their lives in the summer of 1961 to desegregate interstate bus travel. Freedom riders compares and contrasts the childhoods of john lewis, growing up in black america, and jim zwerg, growing up in white america, in a way that helps young readers understand the segregated experience of our nations past. These two young men, empowered by their successes in the nashville student movement, were among those who volunteered to continue the freedom rides after violence in anniston, alabama, left the original bus in flames with the riders injured and in retreat. Freedom ride 1961 is a strikingly designed daybyday, blowbyblow account of one of the most wellknown moments of the civil rights movement, accompanied by dozens of blackandwhite photographs. Freedom riders compares and contrasts the childhoods of john lewis, growing up in black america, and. The national association for the advancement of colored people naacp was involved in the.
Book two focuses on his commitment to nonviolence which is tested as he becomes a freedom rider. Despite fierce prejudice and abuse, even being beaten to within an inch of her life, fannie lou hamer was a champion of civil rights from the 1950s until her death in 1977. Freedom s children, is a story made of many stories from different people who experienced the segreation first hand. Virginia 1960, which ruled that segregated public buses were unconstitutional. Historian yohuru williams describes the civil rightsera freedom rides protests and the supreme court decisions that inspired them. This was no ordinary trip and it became known as the freedom ride. Supreme court decisions mandated an end to segregation, or the. Billie hears about a brave group of people called the freedom riders who are making a stand by riding in the front of the bus to protest segregation. The freedom rides was part of a whole rather than a pinnacle. Freedom riders compares and contrasts the childhoods of john lewis and james zwerg in a way. Freedom riders were groups of white and african american civil rights activists who participated in freedom rides, bus trips through the american south in. It shows how a common interest in justice created the convergent path that enabled these young men to meet as freedom riders on a. See the article in its original context from november 18, 2001, section 7, page 53 buy reprints. John lewis and jim zwerg on the front lines of the civil rights movement.
See more ideas about books, childrens books, picture book. This book is an amazing account of the freedom riderscollege students who braved jail, beatings, and indeed their lives in the summer of 1961 to desegregate interstate bus travel. The freedom riders were a group of men and women from many different background and ethnicities who boarded buses, trains and planes headed for the deep south to test the 1960 u. Much to billies surprise and excitement, the freedom riders. Watch freedom riders american experience official site. Fannie lou hamer, spirit of the civil rights movement. These are questions billie simms, a white girl living in alabama in 1961, asks herself. Childrens books are one of the most effective and practical tools for initiating these critical conversations, and can also be used to model what it means to resist and dismantle oppression. Supreme court ruling outlawing racial segregation in all interstate public facilities the movement began in the 1950s. Segregation was very real in the south in the summer of 1961.
Some of the books speak directly to a struggling student, or a talented teacher, or the advocate and activist in us all. Freedom riders by ann bausum scholastic books for kids. John lewis and jim zwerg on the front lines of the civil rights. Its purpose was to challenge the ingrained discrimination and racism that was a largely unacknowledged feature of nsw country towns. Freedom riders compares and contrasts the childhoods of john lewis and james zwerg in a way that. Famously hospitable southerners greet freedom riders w. The work of writing freedom riders, as with each of my books, starts with lots of reading. Freedom riders is not only an essential book for students of american history, but an essential book for every enlightened american. No other book on the freedom riders has used such a personal perspective. The mob holds freedom rider bus burned outside of anniston al. Tells the story of the freedom riders, a diverse group of people, who in the spring and summer of 1961, they put their lives on the line, riding buses through the american south to challenge segregation in interstate transport. The fiftieth anniversary of the freedom rides this year has brought out a number of moving books, films, and other website materials. Another one of the major successes of the book is how arsenault fits the freedom riders into the political culture of the time, and also within what is happening throughout the world. The jane addams childrens book award annually recognizes children s books of literary and aesthetic excellence that effectively engage children in thinking about peace, social justice, global community, and equity for all people.
The text and pictures contain some images of violent terrorism and racist mobs, though the inspiring story the book tells is. Freedom riders goodreads meet your next favorite book. Beyond addressing issues of race and racism, this childrens reading list focuses on taking action. Raymond arsenaults freedom riders is a major addition to the already vast literature on the american civil rights movement. Book three brings us to the fight for voting rights, freedom.
The southern states had ignored the rulings and the. In june 1955, following his college graduation, david halberstam tossed a suitcase into his bangedup chevy. Night on fire by ronald kidd meet your next favorite book. More than simply a wellresearched study of the 1961 freedom rides, the book is an insightful, thorough, and engaging narrative of an entire era of direct action protests to end segregation in interstate transportation. In this inspiring collection of true stories, thirty africanamericans who were children or teenagers in the 1950s and 1960s talk about what it was like for them to fight segregation in the southto sit in an allwhite restaurant and demand to be served, to refuse to give up a seat at the front of the bus, to be among the first to integrate the public schools, and to face violence, arrest, and. Freedom riders compares and contrasts the childhoods of john lewis and james zwerg in a way that helps young readers understand the segregated experience of our nations past. These two young men, empowered by their successes in the nashville student movement, were among those who volunteered to continue the freedom rides after violence in. American libraries canadian libraries universal library community texts project gutenberg biodiversity heritage library children s library. Bausum tells the story from the perspective of two freedom riders, john lewis and jim zwerg, who together with other young people, boarded a greyhound bus to test southern compliance with federal rules about integration of bus stations and interstate travel.
Freedom riders attacked in alabama while testing compliance with bus desegregation laws september 25, 1961. Muckrakers earned the golden kite award as best nonfiction book of the year from the society of childrens book writers and illustrators. The reallife freedom writers teacher recommends books. Erin originally met with director richard lagravenese in 2000 after he first saw a story about the book the freedom writers diary on the tv news show primetime live. This book chronicles in vivid detail the freedom rides of 1961, a critical event in the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. In may of 2004, during the 43rd anniversary month of the original freedom rides, i took a freedom ride of my own. A national committee of members with passion for and expertise in children s literature and social justice is responsible for making the choices each year. Parents need to know that larry dane brimners twelve days in may. Pbs american experience, film, freedom riders the website for the pbs american experience film, freedom riders, includes historical material, maps, biographies, teaching guides, and more james farmer, one of the organizers of the freedom rides. Otago daily times, otago daily times this novel it is very well written creative kids tales, creative kids. The consolidation story, from civil rights to the jaguars deftly weaves an intricate narrative of the 1961 freedom rides, the civil rights. Freedom riders were civil rights activists who rode interstate buses into the segregated southern united states in 1961 and subsequent years to challenge the nonenforcement of the united states supreme court decisions morgan v.
Ann curthoys, the author of this book, was one of the passengers. These civil rights kids books do an excellent job of personalizing the era and the struggles. Freedom riders 1961 and the struggle for racial justice raymond arsenault pivotal moments in american history. I answered the 1961 sncc call to join the freedom rides. Riders in anniston al, attacking the greyhound bus, smashing the windows, and slashing the tires. The 1961 freedom riders were inspired by the journey of reconciliation, made by civil rights activists in 1947. Historical events, such as the murders of civil rights activist medgar evers and emmett till and the freedom riders courageous bus rides in protest of segregation, are made more personal through.
Freedom riders is the powerful harrowing and ultimately inspirational story of six months in 1961 that changed america forever. The names of the original freedom riders may 4, 1961 may 17, 1961. They were black and white, young and old, men and women. Of the eighteen original freedom riders, two were women, six were white, and twelve were black. Published december 27th 2005 by national geographic childrens books. As an english teacher, an author, and the host of the freedom writers podcast, i carefully selected the below books that have played a pivotal part in the freedom writers journey. Freedom s children and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. The bus tries to flee, but the attackers give chase, halting it on the outskirts of town, then setting it on fire. It shows how a common interest in justice created the convergent path that enabled these young men to meet as freedom riders on a bus journey south. Freedom riders compares and contrasts the childhoods of john lewis a. Firmly renouncing violence in the spirit of gandhi, they set the course of civil rights actions that followed.