Democracy in Action: A Study Guide to Accompany the film, Freedom Riders

Developed in partnership with PBS's American Experience, the guide Democracy in Action supports educators and students in their use of the documentary Freedom Riders. This film tells the powerful story of the Freedom Riders taking brave and decided actions to dismantle the structures of discrimination—specifically segregated interstate bus travel—through nonviolence.

With primary source readings, historic photographs, and questions to stimulate classroom discussions, the guide prompts students to consider the relationship between the political context in which the Rides took place and the stories and motivations of those who became Freedom Riders.

The guide begins with an exploration of the identity and choices of the Riders. Then students explore the greater context of the Rides from the institutionalized and culturally-accepted racism of Jim Crow South to the adoption of nonviolent direct action to inspire social change. From this groundwork, students analyze the complexities of the relationships between the Kennedy administration, the media, and the activists in the ultimately successful desegregation of buses and bus facilities.

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The story of the Freedom Rides highlights an essential civic lesson. As William H. Hastie, the nation’s first black federal judge, said: “Democracy is a process, not a static condition. It is becoming rather than being. It can easily be lost, but never is fully won. Its essence is eternal struggle.” Studying the historical Freedom Rides helps students better understand that struggle.

Sections Include:

             Who Were the Freedom Riders?

             Riding the Bus: Race, Custom, and the Law

             Riding for Change: Nonviolence

             The World Is Watching: The Media and the Freedom Rides

             Democracy in Action: Making Choices

             The Politics of Civil Rights

             The Legacy of the Freedom Riders