Civil Rights Freedom Riders - Montgomery, Alabama
Posted by: 
xptwo
N 32° 22.483 W 086° 18.541
16S E 565000 N 3582181
This marker is in front of the Greyhound Bus Terminal where the civil rights encounter described on the marker took place.
Waymark Code: WMD93Q
Location: Alabama, United States
Date Posted: 12/07/2011
Views: 9
Today the old Greyhound Bus Terminal houses the Freedom Rides Museum, but in 1961 it was the scene of an early civil rights confrontation. The marker tells the story of the events of May 20, 1961, and can be found on South Court street near the intersection with Adams Avenue. The museum opened in 2011 and is located at 210 South Court Street, Montgomery, Alabama 36104.
Marker Name: Civil Rights Freedom Riders / May 20, 1961
Marker Type: Urban
Addtional Information::
The text of the marker reads:
On May 20, 1961, a group of black and white SNCC members led by John Lewis left Birmingham for Montgomery on a Greyhound bus. They were determined to continue the "Freedom Ride" from Washington, D.C. to New Orleans that had met with violence in Birmingham. Their purpose was to test a court case, "Boynton vs. Virginia," declaring segregation in bus terminals unconstitutional. Upon arriving in Montgomery, their police escort disappeared, and an angry mob of over 200 Klan supporters attacked and injured them at the Greyhound terminal. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy was so enraged that he sent in 450 U. S. Marshals and thus became active in the movement.
Erected 1995 by Greyhound and Kenneth Mullinax Jr.
Date Dedicated / Placed: 1995
Marker Number: Not Listed
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Visit Instructions:
Please post a photo of you OR your GPS at the marker location. Also if you know of any additional links not already mentioned about this bit of Alabama history please include that in your log.