Producers of a documentary film about the audacious 1960s Freedom Ride interstate bus rides that defied the racially segregated South have unearthed never-before-seen footage and fresh angles from those involved, presenting a fascinating insight into the one of the nation’s most poignant transitions.
Documentary research yielded a wealth of new information: A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request made to the FBI garnered never-before-seen film; then-Alabama Gov. Patterson also provided previously unreleased footage; and a freelance photographer’s negatives collecting dust for more than 50 years were brushed off and developed.
Radio reports were also obtained from the Library of Congress, and photos and video from France, the Czechoslovak Republic, and Cuba were gleaned from wire agencies.
Part of the learning experience in crafting this historical narrative was “to really be dogged and never give up,” said Laurens Grant, producer of the documentary film “Freedom Riders,” funded by PBS and based on a book of the same name. “I don’t take no for an answer. I certainly don’t take it easily; even if someone says ‘No I don’t have anything,’ well [I say] ‘Look again.’”
“[We’re] also detectives, or investigators, or super sleuths,” Grant added.
The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) Freedom Riders sought to challenge the status quo in the Southern states in the 1960s by riding on public buses in groups comprised of both Caucasians and African-Americans. The trip followed a 1960 United States Supreme Court decision Boynton v. Virginia, which declared unlawful racial segregation in the restaurants and waiting rooms of bus terminals serving interstate travel.
The planned route was to go from Washington D.C. to New Orleans, going through Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. The Freedom Riders split into two groups and rode on two separate buses.
Scenes from the movie depict blatant racism and violent attacks against the riders.
At one point, in Birmingham, Ala., the riders encounter a Ku Klux Klan mob, which had been given 15 minutes by local police to do whatever they want to the riders without fear of reprisal.
“All hell broke loose,” recalls an unidentified witness shown in the documentary. “It was a mass brawl; stakes, bats, clubs, guns, just swinging away. Just swinging away.”
“James went down almost immediately. The blood started running,” says Freedom Rider Charles Person in the film, referring to fellow Freedom Rider James Peck.
The chaotic scene ends when police arrive after more than 15 minutes of mayhem. Multiple riders sustained severe injuries.
Nonviolence is maintained during the entire ride by the riders. Under the continued threat of violence, they eventually make it to New Orleans via plane, accompanied by a government escort.
“What they did was just so heroic and almost forgotten,” said Grant. “What they did literally transformed” everyday tasks.
“From getting on buses, [to] getting on trains, and not seeing those signs (white and colored),” said Grant. “We can take it for granted, but literally there had to be a movement to do that, to get rid of that.”
“One of the greatest lessons to learn is that there is no playbook or imagery for a great person or a person who takes a great stand,” said Grant. “Don’t underestimate your own influence.”
The Epoch Times will present Ground View 4 “In Pursuit of Civil Rights: Freedom Riders” on Tuesday, Dec. 6 at Scholastic Inc., in Manhattan, N.Y.
Laurens Grant, the producer of “Freedom Riders,” will moderate a panel discussion featuring some of the original Freedom Riders. Grant will open with introductory remarks and talk about the film itself and the filmmaking process.
Tickets can be purchased here: ept.ms/groundview4
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