The Freedom Riders Left Things Better Than They Found Them. It's Our Time Now!

Do you recognize the names of these four men? Ezell Blair Jr., David Richmond, Franklin McCain, and Joseph McNeil? Maybe not? Their names are important in history. They were part of the chain that led to major changes in our nation. As we've written in other pages, tools, chains in this case have no good or evil, right or wrong on their own. They are made good or evil by their intention. The intention was surely good in the case of these four men. They added a link in the chain that would soon include the Freedom Riders.

That chain included a link with four other names. They are even less well-known, but as history judges, just as important. We'll write about Geneva Tisdale, Susie Morrison, Anetha Jones, and Charles Bess a little farther down this page.

History always judges people by the "way things were at that time" and how people responded to those times. We will be judged in the same manner decades from now. Research will be done and opinions will be rendered on how we handled our opportunities and our responsibilities.

On a website dedicated to accountable citizenship, the examples of the people highlighted in this page offers a map for us to follow.

We were given permission to share a page about why it is important to learn from history. The author has graciously allowed us to link it again as the writing in that page gives a unique perspective on why learning from history allows us to avoid past mistakes and repeat successful actions. When our time to be judged comes around, years from now, we will want to be remembered for leaving things better than we found them.

The chain of events that included those four guys and the four that followed as well as the people who made up the Freedom Riders left things better than they found them.

The Link Between The Greensboro Four and The Freedom Riders

David Richmond, Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeil, and Ezell Blair Jr. went into a Woolworth Store in 1960 and bought a few items. It wasn't unusual as they had done it before. It was uneventful as such a simple thing should be every time.

Then they sat down at the lunch counter and ordered a cup of coffee and something to eat which should have also been a simple thing. Except in 1960 in this Woolworth store as in many other locations in the southern states, there was a sign that read, "whites only."

These four men who became known as the Greensboro Four had specific intent in their role in this chain that would soon include the Freedom Riders.

They would use the tool of non-violent protest of unfair laws. There would be more attempts to be served at this lunch counter and more rejection. There would be growing movements at peaceful activity to bring about change. 

Something brilliant from a business standpoint also took place. Massive boycotts of stores that held on to segregated areas led to pain that always moves corporate decisions. They hit them in the wallet. By July of 1960, that Woolworth store had lost $200,000 due to the boycott.

This is where Geneva Tisdale, Susie Morrison, Anetha Jones, and Charles Bess became another link in the chain. They were employees of that store. Their manager quietly asked these four black employees to switch out of their work clothes and sit down at that same counter to order lunch.

It would take years for all the other Woolworth stores to comply and even more to wipe out the bad laws. The Freedom Riders would be part of the chain and would face an even tougher go of it.

Looking Back On History, Would We Have The Courage To Board That Bus?

The Freedom Riders are an important part of American History. Their story brought out the best and worst in human thoughts and actions.

The first bus would leave in May of 1961 with others joining in on their way to Louisiana. The participants in these rides came from different backgrounds, different races, different economic circles. But they were all committed to non-violent opposition to bad laws. Their resolve and their determination to remain true to the intent and action of non-violence would be tested.

Who were the Freedom Riders? They came from different backgrounds. Here are some of the original riders.

Some would meet Bull Conner and his henchmen. Conner, the Birmingham Alabama police commissioner was determined to not only stop the Freedom Riders, but also put an end to this chain of events before it impeded his distorted vision of world order.

There would be an attack in Anniston Alabama where a firebomb was thrown inside a bus and the doors were blocked shut in hopes of killing the Freedom Riders on board.

After seeing this, would you have the courage to board the bus with the next group of Freedom Riders?

There would be attacks by mobs of thugs as the local police under Conner's watch stood by and let it happen. There would be many arrests. But something else happened. The eyes of the nation were opened to what was going on in the southern states. How often do we ignore injustice if it doesn't affect us right now?

We could write pages about the Freedom Riders and how their courage changed things for the better in our nation. Their efforts need to be remembered and we encourage our readers to delve into the history available to add in more detail. Here's a good place to start.

The purpose of this page is to shine light on the fact that courage is needed to be accountable citizens. Sometimes it comes from national figures like James Farmer who led the drive to teach non-violent protests of unjust laws.

Sometimes it takes ordinary folks like the ones who got on those buses to send a message, especially the ones who would board the fleet after seeing what the first groups endured. How many of us would have such courage?

Sometimes it takes doing simple things over and over with good intent. Simple things like sitting down at a counter for lunch.

In fifty years or more, history will judge our courage, our intent, and our actions. Will we be remembered for leaving things better than we found them? We get to decide. Are we part of the chain of events that works in support of those three inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?

We wrote a page about eugenics in America. History tells us what happens when eyes are diverted from truth or when influential voices distort truth. We still have work to do in the area of recognizing the value of every citizen and every human life.

History will judge our results.

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