On this date in 1947, The Journey of Reconciliation is celebrated. This was the first American Civil Rights freedom ride through the American South.
George Houser and Bayard Rustin were its primary organizers. Freedom Rides was sponsored by the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and the Fellowship For Reconciliation.
Black and white members ventured on a "Journey of Reconciliation," trying to force the federal government to uphold the 1946 Supreme Court ruling that Jim Crow segregated seating of interstate passengers was unconstitutional.
The original riders were arrested in North Carolina and forced to serve on a chain gang for six months.
Contemporary Black Biography, various volumes
Edited by Shirelle Phelps
Copyright 1999 by Gale Research, Detroit, London
ISBN 0-7876-1275-8
