James Zwerg had been attacked and was put in the hospital. He declared that violence wouldnt stop him or any of his friends. Zwerg was one of the movements first heroes. Catherine Burks-Brooks was also attacked along the journey. She came back 50 years later to Alabama and had a Museum dedicated at the old bus station were they were confronted. She was also named a hero.

A group of us on the bus decided we were going to do things a little bit different. There were six blacks and six whites and we decided that we were going to sit together on the bus, eat together in the resturants. The white people are going to use the "coloreds only" restrooms and the blacks are going to use the "whites only" restrooms. We had to put up with a lot of beatens but we still did it.

Freedom Riders

We traveled by the Greyhound buses. The first ride was April 22nd from East St. Louis,Ill to sickeston,MO. On May 4th a bus traveling from Washington D.C to New Orleans was attacked and burned by Amiston, Alabama.