1. C O N S T I T U T I O N A L R I G H T S 2 . 1
FREEDOM RIDERS

2. #1
• As you watched the video, what stood out? Why
do you think people (of both races) were willing to
join the “freedom rider” cause?

3. #2
• If you were to describe a “freedom rider”, what
words would you use?

5. #3
• Create an identity chart for a freedom rider. Identity
charts include words that individuals use to describe
themselves as well as labels that others might give
them. What qualities do the Riders share? What
differences do you find most striking?

6. Courageous
Stubborn
Belief in Justice
Young
Socially Active
Outspoken
Determined
FREEDOM
RIDER

7. #4
• Now create an identity chart for yourself and
compare it to the charts you made for the Freedom
Rider.

8. #5
• Based on the film, how do you think ideas about
race shaped the way people lived their lives in the
1960s? To what extent do ideas about race shape
your community today?

9. #6
• How would you describe the philosophy of
nonviolence? What do you think advocates of
nonviolence believe about human behavior?

11. #7
• What conditions do you think are necessary for a
strategy of nonviolent direct action to have an
impact?

12. #8
• How have images from the media impacted the
way you think about an issue? Some believe that in
the 50 years since the civil rights struggle, the
impact of news media on the public has changed.
How do you get your news today? How do your
parents and their friends get the news?

13. #9
• How do you explain the impact of the images from
Anniston and Birmingham on the American public?
Why do you think the Kennedy administration was
concerned about the use of those same images
abroad?

14. #10
• Understanding the potential danger, the original
organizers of the Freedom Rides made sure to get
parental permission from younger participants.
• How do you think the Freedom Riders explained
their desire to participate to their parents?
• If you were the parent of a Freedom Rider, how
would you decide whether or not to let your child
participate? What factors do you think these
parents considered?

15. #11
• What factors influenced Rev. Martin Luther King’s
decision not to join the Riders? Why do you think
some of the Freedom Riders were disappointed by
his decision not to participate directly? Why do you
think Lafayette advised King not to join the Rides?

16. #12
• The Kennedys understood that the Freedom Riders
had the right to ride buses and use public facilities,
but they did not initially approve of the methods the
Riders used to get their message across.
• Do you think there was another way for the activists
to have accomplished their goals?

17. #13
• What do you see as the civil rights struggles of
today? What role might the courts play? What role
might individuals and groups play? To what extent is
the philosophy of nonviolence a useful way to
address today’s challenges?