Original Air Date:
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Guests:
Oprah welcomed 178 survivors of the 1961 Freedom Rides to share their experiences protesting against racial injustice in the South.
Show Summary:
50 years ago to the day, a group of young people stood up against racial injustice in the deep South in 1961, facing violence and possible death, to encourage the government to step in and stop the continuing segregation in a movement called The Freedom Rides. On this episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, Oprah welcomed 178 surviving participants of the 436 total young people that participated in the bus trips 50 years ago.
Special Highlights:
This episode featured the following highlights:
- Some of the key Freedom Riders shared their experiences of being met with violence in Alabama and Mississippi, including one of the busses being set on fire, being beaten by KKK members who wanted to stop the protest, to a full-blown riot in Birmingham.
- When the Freedom Rides were nearly stopped after riders were sent to a Mississippi prison, students from Nashville revived the movement and risked their lives to fill the prison with their non-violent protests against segregation.
- On September 22, 1961, just four months after the protests began, all of the signs that remained from the Jim Crowe Laws of the South were finally removed and the Freedom Riders had accomplished their goal.
What to Take Away from the Show:
The Freedom Riders are an ultimate testament to the willingness to give your life for something you believe in. Oprah stood on the stage surrounded by living history; people who directly contributed to making it possible for her to be the person she is today. This episode was a celebration, a reunion, and a reminder of where we have come from, but also of the work that is still left to be done.