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Freedom Riders and the Civil Rights Movement
Debbie Kilpatrick
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The contribution of Freedom Riders to the Civil Rights protest movement of the 1960s is seldom emphasized in history books. Through this lesson, students will learn about the Freedom Riders and their effects on the South. Utilizing Internet sources as well as news articles from 1961 issues of the LaGrange Daily News, students will learn the goals of the Freedom Riders and analyze how they themselves would have reacted if they had lived at that time. Students will analyze differing points of view by imagining themselves in the roles of various people who were affected by the Freedom Rider movement.
Pencils, paper, handouts, computer lab
Copies of LaGrange Daily News articles about Freedom Riders from 1961:
Document A-May 24, 1961
Document B-May 25, 1961
Document C-May 31, 1961
Document D-June 3, 1961
Document E-June 21, 1961
(1) 90 Minute Lesson
1S3
How did the Civil Rights Movement, specifically that of the "Freedom Riders," affect the Southern region of the United States?
Students will be given a word search that includes terms from the Civil Rights Movement. They are to highlight the terms found at the bottom of the page. (See linked file attached)
Distribute Freedom Riders Anticipation/Reaction Guide to each student.
Instruct students to use any prior knowledge they have about the Civil Rights Era to help them respond "Agree" or "Disagree" next to each sentence under the word BEFORE.
Explain that students will also respond to the sentences after the lesson has been taught.
1. Ask students if they know the meaning of the term "Jim Crow" laws. Let students share any knowledge they may have of the laws. Give them the handout entitled "Where was Jim Crow?" Go to the computer lab and allow students 15-20 minutes to follow the directions on the handout.
Discuss the answers found by the students. Encourage students to share their own feelings about the enforcement of these laws.
2. Still in the computer lab, give students the handout entitled "Isn't There a Law?" Have students look on the web page given on the handout. Following directions on the handout, have students skim the "Boynton vs. Virginia" case. The handout directs them to summarize what the Supreme Court decided in the case. They also are to find the paragraph concerning what the Bus Terminal Restaurants, Inc. announced a year after this case was decided. After 10-15 minutes, have students discuss what they have discovered.
3. Divide the students into four groups. Give each group copies of one of the following articles from the LaGrange Daily News: (These articles are copyright protected UPI particles; therefore, they must the accessed through the Troup County Archives.)
A. May 24, 1961: " 'Riders' Carry Crusade Into Mississippi Next"
B. May 25, 1961: "City Police Arrest Five in Bus Station Incident"
C. May 31, 1961: "Rail Riders Also Jailed On Arrival"
D. June 3, 1961: "Ruling Hits Extremists Both Sides"
When the students have read the articles, they are to summarize the information given with the others in their group, and then share it with all of the class.
Discuss the racial climate of the South at that time, as indicated by the articles. Have students discuss how they think blacks and whites living at this time may have felt.
4. Have students imagine that they are living in LaGrange, Georgia in 1961. Instruct them to imagine that they are aware of the information we have just shared, and that they have heard rumors the Freedom Riders will be in LaGrange on June 20th. They are to share the thoughts, ideas, and points of view they think they would have had at the time of this rumor if they were the following people:
a. A white waitress who works at the bus station in LaGrange.
b. A black woman who wants to have a better future for her family.
c. A white business owner on the square in LaGrange.
d. A black farmer in a LaGrange community.
e. The Chief of Police in LaGrange.
5. Have students read the LaGrange Daily Newsarticle (Document E)from June 21, 1961 entitled "Riders Stop in LaGrange." Ask students to summarize what actually happened when the Freedom Riders came to LaGrange and if they agree or disagree with what was transpired. Students will share reasons for their reactions.
1. Go back to the "Anticipation /Reaction Guide" handout as in the activating strategy. Students are to write "agree" or "disagree" under the word AFTER. Discuss the sentences, especially noting the areas in which they changed their responses from those given prior to the lesson.
2. Students are to write a summary of what they have learned about Jim Crow Laws, the Boynton vs. Virginia Case, and the Freedom Riders' movement. They are to include information about the LaGrange response to the arrival of the Freedom Riders and describe their opinion concerning the way the event was handled, and how the South was impacted as a result of the Civil Rights Movement. This may be written as an essay or a poem. Student drawings of one or more of the events may be included.
Before teaching this lesson, it would be very helpful for the teacher to read "Freedom Rides " from the following web page:
http://www.watson.org/~lisa/blackhistory/civilrights-55-65/freeride.html
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Riders Stop In LaGrange_Document E Kilpatrick
Where Was Jim Crow_Kilpatrick 1S3
Isn't There a Law_Kilpatrick 1S3
Freedom Riders Anticipation Reaction Guide_Kilpatr
Civil Rights Word Search_Kilpatrick 1S3