Freedom Rides Museum

Happy Birthday to Freedom Rider, Catherine Burks-Brooks who was 21 years old when she joined the Freedom Rides.She was one of the Freedom Riders attacked by a mob at the Montgomery Greyhound station, now the Freedom Rides Museum. After the mob attack, the Riders voted to continue and Catherine and eight other Freedom Riders traveled by Greyhound on May 28th from Nashville to Jackson and were arrested upon arrival.

Happy Birthday to Edward Johnson who was 19 years old when he traveled by train from New Orleans, LA to Jackson, MS on July 9, 1961.

It’s ! This week we are honoring Larry Bell! Bell was born on March 5th, 1942 in Monroe, GA. He grew up there and in Los Angeles after his family moved there when he was 8. At the time of the Freedom Rides, Bell was a Freshman at Los Angeles City College. He joined the Freedom Rides along with his brother-in-law, Edmond Dalbert. He and Dalbert travelled by train from New Orleans, LA to Jackson, MS on July 9, 1961. Upon arrival, they were arrested for “Breach of Peace” alongside 7 other Riders.

In an interview with Eric Etheridge for his book, “Breach of Peace”, Bell discusses the conditions inside the notorious Parchman Prison. “We were protesting one night and… Deputy Tyson opened up the cells and put all of us- maybe thirty-five-put us not in solitary confinement but in the box. It was one room that was smaller than 12x12. They stuck all of us in there. This is I think when we came closest to someone’s demise. When they put us in this lock-up, they believed it was airtight. There was no windows; it was just a dark room. So they put all of us in that room and all we could do was stand up, stand up straight… That’s why we were put into the lock-up. They wanted us to concede to their power, and we refused to concede to their power”.

After the Freedom Rides he worked as a janitor to pay his way through college night classes. In 1966, he became one of the first African Americans to work for United Airlines. Bell passed away on May 18, 2013 at the age of 71.

We at the Freedom Rides Museum were saddened to learn about the passing of Freedom Rider Larry Hunter. Today would have been his 84th birthday. Hunter was 18 years old when he traveled on a Trailways bus from Nashville, TN to Montgomery, AL and then to Jackson, MS on May 28, 1961. May he rest in peace.

Happy Birthday to Carol Ruth Silver who was 22 years old when she traveled on a Trailways bus from Nashville, TN to Jackson, MS on June 7, 1961.

For this week’s , we are continuing with our protest song theme with the 1970 hit “Stoned Love” by The Supremes. The song was the last top ten hit for the group post Diana Ross. The lyrics were meant to be a plea for peace, unity and love. It was a call to end the conflict in Vietnam, but can be applicable to a wide range of issues. The term “Stone Love” was used to describe a solid, unchanging relationship. This choice of lyrics was misinterpreted by some and led to a cut of a live performance on CBS when producers believed it was a drug reference. It is believed that even Berry Gordy did not like the song and it was leaked to a radio station because he did not want it released as a single. Despite the controversy, the song reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #1 on the R&B chart as well as #3 in the UK. Enjoy this live performance of the song from Soul Train: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2ce7FWOAM8

Happy Birthday to Charles Person who was 18 years old when he traveled on the CORE Freedom Ride that started in Washington D.C. and was attacked in Birmingham. This ride happened from May 4-14, 1961. Dr. Person was the youngest Freedom Rider to participate in the original CORE Ride.

in 1789, the U.S. Congress approved the Bill of Rights and prepared to send them to the states for ratification. This document included the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution and provided a framework for change on a national level that still exists today. The Supreme Court references this document when deciding cases and ruled in favor of desegregation in landmark cases like Morgan v. Virginia, and Boynton v. Virginia. Both of these cases played an integral role in the Freedom Rides. The Riders were testing the enforcement of the rulings in these federal cases that outlawed segregation in interstate travel across the country.

The image shown here is of the Bill of Rights on display at the National Archives in Washington D.C.

It’s time for another ! This week we are spotlighting Russell Jorgensen.

Jorgensen joined the Rides when he was 44 years old. At the time of the Freedom Rides, he was a graduate of the University of Wisconsin and Pacific School of Religion, a fundraiser for the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), member of Fellowship of Reconciliation, and active in Berkeley’s CORE. He and his wife, Mary Jorgensen were arrested for flying into Jackson along with seven other Freedom Riders and challenging segregation at the airport. Like the Freedom Riders before, they were arrested for breach of peace. After the Rides, he continued to fundraise for the AFSC until the mid seventies. He served on the board of Pacifica Radio Foundation, and was president of the foundation in 1963. For 2 years, he and Mary supervised the VISA volunteers in Tanzania before they moved north to help create an intentional community named Monan’s Rill. We continue to remember Russell Jorgensen for being one of the courageous Freedom Riders.

Image of Russell Jorgensen after he was arrested for his participation in the courtesy of MDAH.