Final answer:
The Freedom Riders aimed to challenge segregation in interstate transportation and to protest segregated bus terminals by testing a Supreme Court decision. Their actions were met with severe violence and contributed to a shift in public opinion and increased federal pressure to enforce civil rights laws.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Freedom Riders were civil rights activists who, in 1961, embarked on interstate bus rides through the American South to challenge the segregation of bus terminals and enforce the U.S. Supreme Court decision prohibiting segregation on interstate transportation. The group, composed of African American and White volunteers, was organized by the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).
The rides were met with violence, particularly in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and Birmingham, Alabama, where the riders endured severe beatings by mobs, including members of the Ku Klux Klan. Despite these challenges, their actions garnered significant national attention and put pressure on the Kennedy administration to enforce civil rights laws. The enduring images of the riders, such as the photos of burning Greyhound buses and the accounts of beatings, played a crucial role in changing public opinion regarding segregation.
Ultimately, the Freedom Riders' efforts contributed to heightened federal pressure to protect civil rights and challenge discriminatory laws and practices in the United States. Their courage in the face of danger highlighted the dire state of racial inequality and the urgent need for change, leading to key civil rights advancements in the 1960s.