 
TODAY...
BUSES ARE A-COMIN'
Oprah: ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SHOWS OF MY ENTIRE CAREER.
WATCH THIS WITH YOUR WHOLE FAMILY.
OH, YEAH
50 YEARS LATER, OPRAH REUNITES AMERICAN HEROES --
THE FREEDOM RIDERS.
CONGRESSMAN JOHN LEWIS
FACE-TO-FACE WITH THE MAN WHO BRUTALLY BEAT HIM.
WERE YOU A MEMBER OF THE KU KLUX KLAN?
THE 12-YEAR-OLD WHO BRAVED AN ANGRY MOB.
I STAND AMONG HEROES.
WE OWE THEM FOR THE PRICE THEY PAID
AND THE PATHS THEY LAID FOR US.
NEXT.
THE IMAGES ARE VIVID AND EVOCATIVE --
YOUNG PEOPLE RISING UP,
WILLING TO DIE FOR WHAT THEY BELIEVE IN.
WE SAW IT EARLIER THIS YEAR IN EGYPT.
FED UP WITH THEIR GOVERNMENT, THOUSANDS TOOK TO THE STREETS
AND ULTIMATELY BROUGHT DOWN A REGIME.
REMEMBER THIS ICONIC PHOTO FROM 1989 --
BEIJING'S TIANANMEN SQUARE?
ONE TENACIOUS YOUNG MAN BECAME A SYMBOL
FOR THE HOPES AND DREAMS OF A NATION.
THAT SAME STEADFAST SPIRIT WAS ALIVE
RIGHT HERE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
50 YEARS AGO,
WHEN A MOVEMENT CALLED THE FREEDOM RIDES
CHANGED THIS COUNTRY FOREVER.
FOR MANY OF YOU WATCHING,
I KNOW THAT THIS MAY BE THE FIRST TIME
YOU ARE EVEN HEARING ABOUT THE FREEDOM RIDES.
BUT LET ME TELL YOU, IF IT WERE NOT FOR THESE AMERICAN HEROES,
THIS COUNTRY WOULD BE A VERY DIFFERENT PLACE RIGHT NOW,
AND THE LIVES OF MILLIONS OF YOU WATCHING AT HOME
WOULD BE DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT.
I KNOW MY LIFE WOULD BE WERE IT NOT FOR THEM.
WE BEGIN WITH A LOOK BACK AT WHAT LIFE WAS LIKE BACK IN 1961,
WHEN THE FREEDOM RIDERS MOVEMENT WAS BORN.
IN 1961,
JOHN F. KENNEDY WAS SWORN IN AS AMERICA'S 35th PRESIDENT.
AT JUST 43, HE WAS THE YOUNGEST PRESIDENT ELECTED TO OFFICE.
THE CAMELOT ERA WAS, FOR MANY, A TIME OF HOPE AND OPTIMISM.
GAS WAS JUST 31 CENTS A GALLON,
AND MANY FAMILIES SAW THE U.S.A. IN THEIR CHEVROLET.
THAT SAME YEAR,
THE UNITED STATES PUT OUR FIRST MAN INTO SPACE.
Man: EVERYTHING IS A-OKAY.
Oprah: POPULAR TV SHOWS
LIKE "LEAVE IT TO BEAVER" AND "THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW"
DEPICTED AN IDYLLIC, ALL-AMERICAN LIFE.
BUT THOSE IMAGES WERE FAR FROM THE REALITY
FOR MANY AFRICAN-AMERICANS, ESPECIALLY IN THE DEEP SOUTH.
JIM CROW LAWS FORCED BLACK PEOPLE
TO USE SEPARATE WATER FOUNTAINS,
SEPARATE PUBLIC RESTROOMS, AND WAITING ROOMS.
EVEN ON BUSES AND TRAINS, WE HAD TO SIT IN THE BACK.
Man: THE COLORED MAN KNOWS WHERE HE STANDS.
THE WHITE MAN KNOWS WHERE HE STANDS.
WE HAVE SIGNS SAYING "COLORED" AND "WHITE."
THE COLORED MAN KNOWS THAT HE IS NOT TO ENTER THERE.
Oprah: IN 1946, AND AGAIN IN 1960,
THE U.S. SUPREME COURT OUTLAWED THESE RACIST PRACTICES,
BUT MANY WHITE SOUTHERNERS 
  CONTINUED TO FOLLOW THEIR OWN SET OF RULES.
Woman: WELL, THE NIGGER'S ALL RIGHT IN HIS PLACE,
BUT THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN BEHIND US, AND JUST TELL YOU THE TRUTH,
I WANT THEM ALWAYS STAY BEHIND ME
'CAUSE I NEVER HAVE LOVED A NIGGER, MISTER.
DURING THOSE HATE-FILLED AND TERRIFYING TIMES
IN THE SOUTH AND OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY,
A FEARLESS AND DETERMINED GROUP OF AMERICANS --
MEN AND WOMEN, BLACK AND WHITE,
MANY OF THEM STILL IN COLLEGE AT THE TIME --
JOINED TOGETHER TO FIGHT AGAINST RACIAL INJUSTICE
IN OUR COUNTRY.
IT WAS DANGEROUS AND DARING.
SOME EVEN CONSIDERED IT A SUICIDE MISSION.
13 COURAGEOUS FREEDOM RIDERS WOULD RISK THEIR LIVES
TO BOARD BUSES IN WASHINGTON, D.C.,
AND HEAD SOUTH INTO THE BELLY OF THE SEGREGATION BEAST.
THE PLAN WAS TO BUY TICKETS ON INTERSTATE BUSES
FOR A TWO-WEEK JOURNEY THAT WOULD END IN NEW ORLEANS.
ALONG THE WAY, THE RIDERS WOULD TEST FEDERAL LAWS
THAT PROHIBITED SEGREGATION
BY RIDING IN THE FRONT OF BUSES
AND SITTING IN WAITING ROOMS
DESIGNATED "WHITES ONLY" AND "COLORED."
IT WAS VERY LIKELY THAT THEY WOULD GET ARRESTED,
THEY MIGHT GET BEATEN UP, THEY MIGHT EVEN GET KILLED.
Oprah: THE MOVEMENT WAS ORGANIZED BY CORE,
THE CONGRESS OF RACIAL EQUALITY.
CORE TRAINED ALL THE FREEDOM RIDERS TO BE NONVIOLENT,
HOW TO PROTEST WITHOUT EVER STRIKING BACK.
Man: MAY I HAVE A CUP OF COFFEE, PLEASE?
NOW, LOOK, I DON'T WANT ANY NIGGERS IN HERE.
NIGGER, WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN HERE?!
James: BY USING NONVIOLENCE, PEOPLE SEE THE CONTRAST
BETWEEN YOUR DIGNIFIED, DISCIPLINED CONFRONTATION
OF THE WRONG,
AND THEN THE REACTION OF VIOLENCE.
NO WAY OF CONFUSING THAT CONFRONTATION.
WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
I'M FROM THE UNITED STATES.
Oprah: THE FREEDOM RIDERS HOPED THIS NONVIOLENT MOVEMENT
WOULD FORCE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
TO STEP UP AND PROTECT THEIR CIVIL RIGHTS.
AND I WASN'T SURE I'D REALLY HAVE TO USE
ALL THESE TECHNIQUES.
WITH OUR NONVIOLENT BEHAVIOR AND OUR GOODWILL,
I THOUGHT WE COULD DO ANYTHING.
IT WAS THAT OPTIMISM THAT WOULD LEAD
TO ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT MOMENTS IN AMERICAN HISTORY.
TODAY, ON THE 50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE FREEDOM RIDES,
WE HONOR THE 436 BRAVE AND DETERMINED PEOPLE
WHO RISKED THEIR LIVES TO CHANGE OUR NATION.
AS AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMAN
BORN IN MISSISSIPPI IN 1954 AND RAISED IN THE SOUTH,
I OWE A DEEP DEBT OF GRATITUDE TO THE FREEDOM RIDERS,
AS DO WE ALL.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I STAND AMONG HEROES.
JOIN ME IN WELCOMING 178 SURVIVORS
OF THE 1961 FREEDOM RIDES.
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.
COMING UP...
[ GLASS SHATTERS ]
IT WAS HORRIBLE. IT WAS LIKE A SCENE FROM HELL.
Oprah: THEIR BUS WAS SET ABLAZE.
ONE BRAVE YOUNG GIRL CAME TO THE RESCUE.
NEXT, FACE-TO-FACE REUNION
WITH THE FREEDOM RIDERS SHE HELPED.
Lewis: "I WISH TO APPLY FOR ACCEPTANCE
AS A PARTICIPANT IN CORE'S FREEDOM RIDE, 1961..."
Genevieve: "...TO TRAVEL, VIA BUS, FROM WASHINGTON, D.C.,
"TO NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA,
AND TO TEST AND CHALLENGE SEGREGATED..."
"...FACILITIES EN ROUTE.
"I UNDERSTAND THAT I SHOULD BE PARTICIPATING
IN A NONVIOLENT PROTEST..."
Jerry: "...AGAINST RACIAL DISCRIMINATION,
THAT ARREST OR PERSONAL INJURY TO ME MIGHT RESULT."
THAT FOOTAGE IS FROM THE PBS DOCUMENTARY "FREEDOM RIDERS,"
AIRING ON PBS.
IT WAS 50 YEARS AGO
THAT THE FREEDOM RIDES OFFICIALLY BEGAN,
AND AFTER SEVERAL DAYS OF INTENSE TRAINING,
AS YOU WILL SEE WHEN YOU WATCH THE DOCUMENTARY,
A SMALL GROUP OF ACTIVISTS, FIGHTING TO END SEGREGATION,
BELIEVED IN THE DEEPEST PART OF THEMSELVES
THAT THEY WERE READY FOR ANYTHING,
EVEN THE POSSIBILITY OF DEATH.
BUSES ARE A-COMIN'
BUSES ARE A-COMIN'
BUSES ARE A-COMIN'
OH, YEAH
Lewis: BOARDING THAT GREYHOUND BUS
TO TRAVEL THROUGH THE HEART OF THE DEEP SOUTH,
I FELT GOOD.
I FELT HAPPY.
BUSES ARE A-COMIN'
OH, YES
Oprah: 13 BRAVE FREEDOM RIDERS
BOARDED BUSES WITH NO SECURITY,
ONLY THEIR HOPE AND UNDYING DETERMINATION
TO CHANGE AN INHUMANE WAY OF LIFE.
COMIN' TO ALABAMA
THEY KNEW THEY COULD BE VICIOUSLY ATTACKED, EVEN KILLED,
BUT THEIR NEED TO FIGHT FOR RACIAL EQUALITY
WAS GREATER, STRONGER,
MORE SIGNIFICANT
THAN THE FEAR OF LOSING THEIR OWN LIVES.
BUSES ARE A-COMIN'
OH, YES
Lewis: THE FIRST FEW DAYS OF THE RIDE WAS UNEVENTFUL.
Genevieve: WHEN WE GOT TO ATLANTA,
THERE WAS A LITTLE RECEPTION FOR US,
HEADED BY THE REVEREND MARTIN LUTHER KING.
Lewis: WE REALIZED THAT, YOU KNOW,
THIS IS NOT GONNA BE AS BAD AS WE THOUGHT.
Oprah: BUT THEY HAD NO IDEA WHAT LAY AHEAD.
ON THE 11th DAY OF THE RIDE, MAY 14, 1961,
TWO BUSES LEFT ATLANTA ONE HOUR APART.
FREEDOM RIDERS WERE ON BOTH BUSES,
ALONG WITH REGULAR PASSENGERS.
THE FIRST BUS CROSSED THE ALABAMA STATE LINE
AND WAS SOON SURROUNDED BY AN ANGRY MOB
ORGANIZED BY THE KU KLUX KLAN -- THE KKK.
Hank: AS WE ENTERED THE CITY LIMITS OF ANNISTON,
LOOKED LIKE AT LEAST 200 PEOPLE
WERE AROUND THE BUS STATION, ALL MEN.
Mae: THE MEN BEGAN TO COME CLOSER
AND SURROUND THE BUS COMPLETELY.
THEY WERE SAYING, "LET'S KILL THESE NIGGERS."
Oprah: THE CROWD, CARRYING METAL PIPES, CLUBS, AND CHAINS,
SMASHED WINDOWS AND DENTED THE SIDES OF THE BUS.
THE TERRIFYING SIEGE LASTED ABOUT 15 MINUTES.
EVENTUALLY, THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO PULL AWAY
BUT DID NOT REALIZE SOMEONE HAD SLASHED THE TIRES.
Moses: AT FIRST, THERE WAS A FEELING OF RELIEF
BECAUSE WE WERE GETTING AWAY, THERE.
EVENTUALLY WE HEARD THAT SICKENING SOUND
OF TIRES GOING FLAT.
Oprah: PANICKED, THE DRIVER WENT FOR HELP, ABANDONING THE BUS.
Genevieve: WE WERE NOW IN THE HANDS OF THIS MOB.
[ INDISTINCT SHOUTING ]
Oprah: THEN SOMETHING CRASHED THROUGH A WINDOW.
[ GLASS SHATTERS ]
THERE WAS AN IMMEDIATE FLASH FIRE ON THE BUS.
AT THAT MOMENT, A FUEL TANK EXPLODED.
Oprah: WITH THEIR LUNGS FILLED WITH SMOKE,
THE PASSENGERS SPILLED OUT ONTO THE GRASS
AND INTO THE HANDS OF THE ANGRY MOB.
PEOPLE WERE GAGGING,
AND THEY WERE CRAWLING AROUND ON THE GROUND.
IT WAS JUST AN AWFUL, AWFUL, AWFUL, AWFUL SCENE.
GENEVIEVE HUGHES-HOUGHTON AND HANK THOMAS
ARE TWO OF THE SURVIVING FREEDOM RIDERS
WHO WERE ON THE BUS THAT WAS SET ABLAZE.
SO, WELCOME.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AT WHAT POINT WERE YOU, WHEN YOU WERE ON THAT BUS,
DID YOU THINK, "THIS IS SERIOUS, AND WE MAY DIE"?
WHEN THE MOB HAD PRETTY MUCH BROKEN OUT
MOST OF THE WINDOWS.
MM-HMM.
THEY WERE TRYING TO GET INTO THE DOOR,
BUT FORTUNATELY FOR US,
WHEN THE BUS DRIVER GOT OFF OF THE BUS,
HE LOCKED THE DOOR SO THEY COULDN'T GET INSIDE,
SO, FOR A MOMENT, I THOUGHT WE WERE SAFE. MM-HMM.
DO YOU REMEMBER HOW YOU WERE ABLE TO ESCAPE?
WELL, AFTER A WHILE, I COULDN'T BREATHE ANY LONGER,
SO I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA
TO GO TO THE FRONT OF THE BUS.
MAYBE THERE'D BE SOME OXYGEN THERE.
DID YOU ALL THINK YOU WERE GONNA DIE ON THAT BUS?
I CERTAINLY DID. MM-HMM.
I KNEW IF I GOT OFF THE BUS, I KNEW THE MOB WOULD KILL ME.
HOW OLD WERE YOU AT THE TIME? 19.
AND THEY WERE YELLING, YOU KNOW,
"WE'RE GONNA KILL THESE NIGGERS."
AND SO I HAD THAT PARTICULAR CHOICE. MM-HMM.
IF I STAYED ON THE BUS,
AND, FRANKLY, I DECIDED TO, AT THAT POINT,
TO COMMIT SUICIDE.
REALLY? YEAH.
IT WAS JUST A QUESTION OF HOW I WAS GONNA DIE.
I KNEW I WAS GONNA DIE.
SO I THOUGHT THAT IF I BREATHED IN THE SMOKE --
TOOK A BIG, DEEP BREATH OF THE SMOKE --
IT WOULD PUT ME TO SLEEP, AND THAT'S THE WAY I WOULD DIE.
MM-HMM. SO I DECIDED TO DO THAT.
AND WHEN I DID, OF COURSE,
THE INVOLUNTARY ACTIONS OF YOUR BODY TAKES OVER,
  AND YOU TRY TO FIGHT FOR AIR.
SO, RAN UP TO THE FRONT OF THE BUS,
AND THE PEOPLE OUTSIDE WERE HOLDING THE BUS DOOR
WHEN THEY SAW THAT WE WERE TRYING TO GET OFF.
AND I COULD HEAR THEM SAYING, "LET'S BURN THEM NIGGERS ALIVE.
THEY'RE TRYING TO GET OFF THE BUS."
MM-HMM.
AND AT THAT MOMENT,
THE FUEL TANK IN THE BACK OF THE BUS EXPLODED.
AND WHEN IT EXPLODED, EVERYBODY RAN, THE ONES OUTSIDE, 
AND THAT'S THE ONLY WAY WE WERE ABLE TO GET OFF OF THAT BUS.
 HOW OLD WERE YOU, GENEVIEVE, AT THE TIME? I WAS 28.
YOU WERE 28.
Oprah: WELL, YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT THE MOVEMENT,
THERE WERE SOUTHERNERS, BOTH BLACK AND WHITE,
WHO RISKED THEIR LIVES TO HELP THE FREEDOM RIDERS.
ONE OF THEM WAS A BRAVE 7th GRADER AT THE TIME. IMAGINE.
JANIE FORSYTH WAS JUST 12 YEARS OLD
WHEN THE FREEDOM RIDERS' BUS WAS FIRE-BOMBED
RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER FAMILY'S GROCERY STORE.
14 PEOPLE WERE TRAPPED INSIDE.
Janie: THE DOOR BURST OPEN, AND PEOPLE JUST SPILLED OUT INTO THE YARD.
THEY WERE PRACTICALLY TRIPPING OVER EACH OTHER
BECAUSE THEY WERE SO SICK AND THEY NEEDED TO GET SOME AIR.
[ INDISTINCT SHOUTING ]
Hank: WHEN I GOT OFF THE BUS, A MAN CAME UP TO ME,
AND I'M COUGHING AND STRANGLING.
HE SAID, "BOY, YOU ALL RIGHT?"
AND I NODDED MY HEAD, AND THE NEXT THING I KNEW,
I WAS ON THE GROUND.
HE HAD HIT ME WITH PART OF A BASEBALL BAT.
IT WAS HORRIBLE. IT WAS LIKE A SCENE FROM HELL.
IT WAS -- IT WAS THE WORST SUFFERING I'D EVER HEARD.
AND I HEARD, "WATER! PLEASE GET ME WATER!
OH, GOD, I NEED WATER!"
I WALKED RIGHT OUT INTO THE MIDDLE OF THAT CROWD.
I PICKED ME OUT ONE PERSON.
I WASHED HER FACE. I HELD HER.
I GAVE HER WATER TO DRINK.
AND AS SOON AS I THOUGHT SHE WAS GONNA BE OKAY,
I GOT UP AND PICKED OUT SOMEBODY ELSE.
HANK WAS ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT JANIE HELPED THAT DAY,
AND JANIE IS HERE WITH US TODAY.
COME ON OUT, JANIE.
[ APPLAUSE ]
THANK YOU.
Genevieve: PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS THANKING ME.
NOW I HAVE A CHANCE TO THANK YOU.
THAT WAS WONDERFUL, WHAT YOU DID.
NEVER FORGET IT.
THAT IS AMAZING.
JANIE, COME SIT NEXT TO ME, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
HI. YOU'RE AN AMAZING WOMAN.
THAT IS SO COURAGEOUS AT 12 YEARS OLD.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, AFTER THAT,
WAS YOUR FAMILY OSTRACIZED BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU DID?
UH, YES AND NO. IT WAS MOSTLY ME. MM-HMM.
WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU AFTER THIS?
WELL, I WAS WAITING FOR A SHOE TO DROP,
BECAUSE I KNEW IT WAS NOT A SAFE THING
TO DEFY THE KU KLUX KLAN.
I HEARD THAT THEY HAD HAD ONE OF THEIR MEETINGS,
WHEREVER AND WHENEVER THEY WERE,
AND THAT THEY HAD DISCUSSED WHAT TO DO
ABOUT RICHARD FORSYTH'S LITTLE GIRL, JANIE.
MM-HMM, MM-HMM.
AND I FOUND OUT THAT, IN THAT MEETING,
SOME OF THEM HAD DECIDED TO GIVE ME A PASS
BECAUSE I WAS YOUNG
AND OBVIOUSLY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS DOING,
AND I WAS WEAK-MINDED.
BUT IF YOU HAD BEEN OLDER, IF YOU HAD BEEN THE AGE
THAT GENEVIEVE WAS AT THAT TIME,
IF YOU WERE 28 AND YOU HAD DONE THAT -- SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN TRASHED.
YEAH. SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN.
IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SAFE
FOR AN ADULT MAN OR A WOMAN TO DO WHAT I DID.
MM-HMM.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF WHAT SHE WAS ABLE TO DO
AT 12 YEARS OLD, HANK?
I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT HER AND HER BRAVERY
AND WHAT HAPPENED TO HER AFTERWARDS,
SO WHEN I SAW HER AGAIN TODAY,
OF ALL OF THE UGLINESS AND ALL OF THE EVILS
THAT TOOK PLACE IN ANNISTON THAT DAY,
THIS WAS THE LITTLE ANGEL,
AND I WILL NEVER, EVER FORGET HER.
[ APPLAUSE ] THANK YOU, JANIE.
THANK YOU, HANK AND GENEVIEVE.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK, BUT FIRST, SOME OF THE FREEDOM RIDERS
EXPLAIN WHY THEY GOT ON THOSE BUSES 50 YEARS AGO TODAY.
I GOT ON THE BUS BECAUSE I KNEW THAT THE RIDE MUST CONTINUE.
I GOT ON THE BUS BECAUSE I HEARD THIS COMPELLING VOICE.
I GOT ON THE BUS BECAUSE, AS A JEW, I WAS AGAINST --
I WAS ALWAYS AGAINST PREJUDICE, RACISM, AND HATRED.
I WOULD RATHER BE DEAD THAN NOT FREE,
AND THAT IS THE REASON THAT I GOT ON THAT BUS.
Oprah: COMING UP...
AND I WAS BEATEN AND LEFT BLOODY.
Oprah: ...THE MAN WHO DID IT IS HERE.
WERE YOU A MEMBER OF THE KU KLUX KLAN?
WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IN SO STRONGLY
THAT YOU'D BE WILLING TO DIE FOR?
HEARING THESE STORIES OF THE FREEDOM RIDERS
MAKES YOU THINK ABOUT THAT.
I KNOW, IN MY HEART, I DON'T BELIEVE I WOULD HAVE HAD
THE COURAGE TO DO WHAT THESE BRAVE SOULS DID.
I DON'T BELIEVE I WOULD HAVE HAD THE COURAGE
TO GET ON THOSE BUSES.
UNITED STATES CONGRESSMAN JOHN LEWIS
IS A PROMINENT FIGURE IN THE CIVIL-RIGHTS MOVEMENT.
HE'S A NAME WE ALL SHOULD KNOW,
WHO ONCE WORKED SIDE BY SIDE WITH DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING.
HE JOINED THE FREEDOM RIDES AS A 21-YEAR-OLD SEMINARY STUDENT.
THINK OF YOUR OWN LIFE AT 21.
ON MAY 9, 1961,
WHEN HE STEPPED OFF THE BUS
AND INTO A SOUTH CAROLINA BUS TERMINAL,
HE WAS BEATEN BLOODY BY AN ANGRY WHITE MAN.
TAKE US BACK TO THAT DAY.
WELCOME, WELCOME.
WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
ON MAY 9, 1961,
MY SEATMATE WAS A YOUNG WHITE GENTLEMAN
BY THE NAME OF ALBERT BIGELOW,
AND THE MOMENT WE STEPPED OFF THE BUS,
WE ATTEMPTED TO ENTER A SO-CALLED WHITE WAITING ROOM.
IT WAS MARKED "WHITE WAITING."
AND A GROUP OF YOUNG MEN CAME TOWARD US
AND STARTED BEATING US,
AND I WAS BEATEN AND LEFT BLOODY.
WHEN YOU WERE TRAINED TO BE NONVIOLENT,
AND THEN YOU'RE PUT IN THE SITUATION
WHERE PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY BEATING ON YOU,
WHAT SPACE DID YOU HAVE TO GO INTO
TO NOT TO FIGHT BACK,
BECAUSE YOUR NATURAL INSTINCT IS TO PROTECT YOURSELF?
WELL, DURING THE TIME I WAS BEING BEATEN
AND OTHER TIMES WHEN I WAS BEING BEATEN,
I HAVE WHAT I CALL AN EXECUTIVE SESSION WITH MYSELF.
WOW.
I SAID, "I'M GONNA TAKE IT. I'M PREPARED."
ON THE FREEDOM RIDE, I WAS PREPARED TO DIE.
YOU WERE PREPARED TO DIE.
I WANTED TO END SEGREGATION AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION.
I HAD GROWN UP SEEING THOSE SIGNS.
I DIDN'T LIKE IT, SO I WANTED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
SO, ELWIN WILSON SAYS HE KNOWS
EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO JOHN LEWIS THAT DAY
BECAUSE HE IS THE MAN WHO BEAT HIM.
AFTER YEARS OF REGRET,
ELWIN APOLOGIZED TO THE CONGRESSMAN IN 2009,
AND TODAY, ELWIN SPEAKS OUT
AGAINST BIGOTRY AND INTOLERANCE.
SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
I KNOW THIS TAKES A LOT OF COURAGE ON YOUR PART
TO SHOW YOUR FACE TO THE WORLD AND TO SAY,
"I AM THE MAN WHO BEAT YOU."
WHEN, CAN YOU TELL US, DID YOU HAVE
THE EPIPHANY OR THE REVELATION,
OR DID IT OCCUR TO YOU THAT BLACK PEOPLE
WERE JUST AS HUMAN AS YOU?
WHEN DID THAT OCCUR TO YOU?
WELL, BACK, I PRAYED
SO MANY TIMES... MM-HMM.
...THAT I COULD MEET THE MAN
THAT I BEAT AT THE STATION -- BUS STATION.
WELL -- WERE YOU A MEMBER OF THE KU KLUX KLAN?
OH, YEAH. YOU WERE. MM-HMM.
I BELONGED TO THE KLAN, FOR SURE, AT THE TIME.
WAS HE THE ONLY PERSON YOU BEAT UP THAT DAY?
NO. NO.
AFTER HE WAS BEAT AND BLOODY AND ALL,
HE -- POLICEMAN CAME UP AND ASKED HIM,
SAID, "YOU ALL WANT TO TAKE OUT A WARRANT?"
PRESS CHARGES.
RIGHT, MAKE CHARGES. YEAH.
HE SAID "NO,"
SAID, "WE'RE NOT HERE TO CAUSE TROUBLE,"
SAID, "WE'RE HERE FOR PEOPLE TO LOVE EACH OTHER."
AM I RIGHT?
YOU'RE RIGHT, MR. WILSON.
MR. WILSON.
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ] SO, MR. WILSON...
WHEN YOU HEARD HIM SAY,
"NO, I'M NOT HERE TO CAUSE ANY TROUBLE,
I'M HERE FOR LOVE,"
DID THAT STRIKE YOU AS BEING WHAT KIND OF --
WHAT IS THAT?
OPRAH, I'M GONNA TELL YOU, IT PLAYED A BIG PART.
MM-HMM.
I THOUGHT --
IT COME INTO MY MIND SO MANY TIMES,
WHAT HE SAID. MM-HMM.
HE WASN'T OUT TO HARM NOBODY. MM-HMM.
MR. WILSON CAME TO MY OFFICE TWO YEARS AGO.
HE SAID, "I ATTACKED YOU, AND I'M SORRY.
I WANT TO APOLOGIZE. WILL YOU ACCEPT MY APOLOGY?"
MM-HMM. AND I SAID YES.
AND HE GAVE ME A HUG.
WAS THAT THE FIRST TIME YOU KNEW WHO HAD ACTUALLY DONE IT?
OH, YEAH. AND HE STARTED CRYING.
I HUGGED HIM BACK, AND I SHEDDED SOME TEARS, ALSO.
AND HE'S THE FIRST AND ONLY PERSON
WHO EVER APOLOGIZED TO ME.
WOW.
[ APPLAUSE ]
THANK YOU, CONGRESSMAN. THANK YOU, MR. WILSON.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. [ APPLAUSE ]
BEFORE I GOT ON THE BUS, I WROTE OUT A WILL.
I WAS AFRAID THAT I MIGHT NOT GET BACK HOME TO MY FAMILY.
WHEN I DECIDED TO GO ON THE FREEDOM RIDE,
MY PARENTS WERE QUITE UPSET.
MY MOTHER WAS AFRAID I WAS GONNA GET KILLED,
AND MY FATHER THOUGHT THAT I HAD RUINED MY LIFE.
I GOT ON THE BUS. I WAS 18 YEARS OLD.
MY MOTHER WAS TERRIBLY WORRIED ABOUT ME.
BUT I FELT IT WAS WORTH THE RISK,
SEGREGATION BEING SUCH AN EVIL SYSTEM.
I DID NOT PLAN TO SURVIVE THE TRIP.
I KNEW IT WAS DANGEROUS,
AND I WAS WILLING TO SACRIFICE MY LIFE
FOR THE FREEDOM OF MY PEOPLE.
Oprah: COMING UP...
Diane: IT WAS CRITICAL THAT THE FREEDOM RIDE NOT STOP.
Oprah: ...THE FEARLESS YOUNG WOMAN WHO REFUSED TO QUIT,
EVEN WHEN THE KENNEDY ADMINISTRATION
TRIED TO STOP HER.
Seigenthaler: I WAS SHOUTING,
"YOUNG WOMAN, DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE DOING?
"YOU'RE GONNA GET SOMEBODY --
DO YOU UNDERSTAND YOU'RE GONNA GET SOMEBODY KILLED?"
AFTER SEVERAL DAYS OF BLOODSHED,
THE FREEDOM RIDERS WERE STRANDED IN ALABAMA.
NO BUS DRIVERS WERE WILLING TO TAKE THEM ANY FURTHER,
AND THEY WERE SURROUNDED BY A HOSTILE, RACIST MOB.
THE FREEDOM RIDES WERE OVER.
SOUTHERN WHITE SUPREMACISTS THOUGHT THEY HAD WON.
BUT THEY DID NOT KNOW ABOUT AN UTTERLY FEARLESS YOUNG WOMAN
NAMED DIANE NASH.
A SOFT-SPOKEN FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH, SHE WAS.
TAKE A LOOK.
Diane: IT WAS CLEAR TO ME
THAT IF WE ALLOWED THE FREEDOM RIDE TO STOP AT THAT POINT,
JUST AFTER SO MUCH VIOLENCE HAD BEEN INFLICTED,
THE MESSAGE WOULD HAVE BEEN SENT
THAT ALL YOU HAVE TO DO TO STOP A NONVIOLENT CAMPAIGN
IS INFLICT MASSIVE VIOLENCE.
IT WAS CRITICAL THAT THE FREEDOM RIDE NOT STOP
AND THAT IT BE CONTINUED IMMEDIATELY.
Oprah: DIANE NASH WAS A LEADER
OF THE NASHVILLE STUDENT MOVEMENT IN 1961.
SHE TURNED 23 ON THE VERY DAY THE FREEDOM RIDES WERE CANCELED.
BUT DIANE WAS NOT WILLING TO GIVE UP,
AND SO, THAT SAME DAY,
SHE AGREED TO COORDINATE A SECOND WAVE OF FREEDOM RIDES,
KEEPING THE MOVEMENT ALIVE.
Diane: WE WERE FRESH TROOPS.
Oprah: IN THE MIDDLE OF FINAL EXAMS,
21 STUDENTS FROM VARIOUS NASHVILLE COLLEGES LEFT SCHOOL
TO JOIN THE FIGHT FOR EQUALITY.
WHEN U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL ROBERT KENNEDY HEARD
THAT MORE STUDENTS WERE CONTINUING THE FREEDOM RIDES,
HE CALLED HIS ASSISTANT, JOHN SEIGENTHALER.
[ TELEPHONE RINGS ]
Seigenthaler: MY PHONE IN THE HOTEL ROOM RINGS,
AND IT'S THE ATTORNEY GENERAL,
AND HE OPENS THE CONVERSATION, "WHO THE HELL IS DIANE NASH?
"CALL HER AND LET HER KNOW
WHAT IS WAITING FOR THE FREEDOM RIDERS."
SO I CALLED HER.
I SAID, "I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE MORE FREEDOM RIDERS
"COMING DOWN FROM NASHVILLE.
YOU MUST STOP THEM, IF YOU CAN."
HER RESPONSE WAS, "THEY'RE NOT GONNA TURN BACK.
"THEY'RE ON THEIR WAY TO BIRMINGHAM,
AND THEY'LL BE THERE SHORTLY."
AND SOON, I WAS SHOUTING,
"YOUNG WOMAN, DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE DOING?
"YOU'RE GONNA GET SOMEBODY --
DO YOU UNDERSTAND YOU'RE GONNA GET SOMEBODY KILLED?"
AND...THERE'S A PAUSE.
AND SHE SAID,
"SIR, YOU SHOULD KNOW
WE ALL SIGNED OUR LAST WILLS AND TESTAMENTS LAST NIGHT,"
BEFORE THEY LEFT.
WOW. WELCOME DIANE NASH AND JOHN SEIGENTHALER.
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
BRAVO. BRAVO. BRAVO.
WE'RE STANDING FOR YOU.
HAD YOU ALL JUST HAD ENOUGH?
Diane: YES. YOU HAD HAD ENOUGH.
SEGREGATION WAS SO HUMILIATING.
IF YOU WENT DOWNTOWN IN NASHVILLE DURING THE LUNCH HOUR,
BLACKS WOULD BE SITTING ON THE CURB,
EATING THEIR LUNCH THAT THEY HAD BROUGHT FROM HOME
OR HAD BROUGHT FROM A RESTAURANT ON A TAKEOUT BASIS.
AND IT WAS -- IT WAS HUMILIATING, AND I HATED IT.
THE STUDENTS THAT DIANE ORGANIZED -- MISS NASH ORGANIZED --
EVENTUALLY MADE IT TO MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA,
WHERE KLANSMEN HAD BEEN WAITING FOR THEM ALL NIGHT.
A FULL-SCALE RIOT THEN BROKE OUT.
JOHN SEIGENTHALER WAS THERE.
JOHN, YOU WERE THERE REPRESENTING
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, ROBERT KENNEDY.
ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES.
AND THEY DIDN'T WANT THIS TO HAPPEN. DID NOT WANT IT.
I MEAN, THE LAST THING THE ADMINISTRATION NEEDED
WAS AN EXPLOSION, A CONFLAGRATION, OF VIOLENCE.
MM-HMM.
SO, YOU END UP IN THE MIDDLE OF A RIOT.
I WOUND UP IN THE MIDDLE OF A VIOLENT RIOT, YES.
I WAS HIT IN THE HEAD.
I HAD NEVER BEEN KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS BEFORE, AND I --
AND THEN THEY KNOCKED ME DOWN
AND KICKED ME UNDER THE CAR,
AND I WOKE UP 30 MINUTES LATER.
THE POLICEMEN FINALLY HAD PICKED ME UP.
IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO IMAGINE
THAT WE WERE THAT SORT OF A SOUTHERN SOCIETY
AT THAT TIME.
MM-HMM. 50 YEARS AGO.
OH, AND -- AND WHEN YOU -- AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THAT,
YOU WONDER WHERE IT CAME FROM,
WHERE THE COURAGE OF THESE CHILDREN CAME FROM.
YES.
EVERY TIME I COMPLIED WITH THE SEGREGATION SIGN
AND WENT AND USED THE BACK DOOR OR SOMETHING,
I FELT LIKE I'M AGREEING THAT I'M INFERIOR --
TOO INFERIOR TO USE THE ORDINARY FACILITY
THAT THE GENERAL PUBLIC USED.
AND IT WAS A REAL PROBLEM FOR ME.
MM-HMM. WELL, I'M GLAD IT WAS A PROBLEM.
I'M GLAD IT WAS A PROBLEM.
[ APPLAUSE ] BUT YOU DID SOMETHING ABOUT IT. THANK YOU.
MISS NASH, MR. SEIGENTHALER. WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.
I'M TAKIN' A TRIP
Oprah: VARIETY MAGAZINE CALLS THE DOCUMENTARY "FREEDOM RIDERS"
A SUPERB PIECE OF FILMIC JOURNALISM.
IT'S AN IN-DEPTH PORTRAIT OF THE SIX-MONTH JOURNEY
THAT CHANGED AMERICA FOREVER.
LIBERTY MUTUAL IS THE EXCLUSIVE CORPORATE SPONSOR
OF THE "FREEDOM RIDERS" FILM,
AIRING AS PART OF "AMERICAN EXPERIENCE" ON PBS.
THE FILM'S POWERFUL MESSAGE
IS THAT ORDINARY PEOPLE WORKING TOGETHER
CAN BRING ABOUT GREAT SOCIAL CHANGE.
THANK YOU, LIBERTY MUTUAL, FOR YOUR DEDICATION
TO PRESERVING AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF HISTORY
AND SHARING IT WITH THE WORLD.
NOW I'M RIDIN' FOR YOU
COMING UP...
21 YEARS OLD, FRESH OUT OF COLLEGE,
AND LOCKED UP IN A MISSISSIPPI PRISON.
IT'S A PLACE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE GET SENT
AND DON'T COME BACK.
Oprah: ON DAY 21, THE NATIONAL GUARD
ESCORTED THE FREEDOM RIDERS OUT OF ALABAMA,
BUT THERE WERE NO FEELINGS OF RELIEF
AS THEY CROSSED THE BORDER INTO MISSISSIPPI.
MISSISSIPPI WAS THE STATE THEY FEARED THE MOST.
Frederick: WHAT WE DIDN'T KNOW AT THE TIME
WAS THAT ROSS BARNETT, THE GOVERNOR OF MISSISSIPPI,
HAD TOLD ALL THE WHITE PEOPLE IN MISSISSIPPI, "STAY HOME."
THAT WAS THE STATE MOST KNOWN FOR HANGING YOU.
YOU KNOW, THAT WAS THE MOST VIOLENT STATE.
BUT ROSS BARNETT SAID, "LET US HANDLE THIS."
Oprah: AND THAT'S JUST WHAT THE GOVERNOR
AND LOCAL OFFICIALS DID.
WHEN THE FREEDOM RIDERS WALKED
INTO THE WHITES-ONLY WAITING ROOM
IN THE JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, BUS TERMINAL,
THEY WERE IMMEDIATELY ARRESTED
AND EVENTUALLY SENT TO PARCHMAN PENITENTIARY.
ROSS BARNETT THOUGHT THAT THIS WOULD BREAK THE BACK
OF THE FREEDOM RIDER MOVEMENT.
Derek: THE FREEDOM RIDERS TAKE THE PRETTY BRAVE STAND
OF SAYING, "FINE, WE'LL GO TO PARCHMAN.
"AND WE'LL FILL PARCHMAN UP,
"AND WE'LL MAKE PARCHMAN THE NEXT SITE
OF THE CIVIL-RIGHTS MOVEMENT."
BUSES ARE A-COMIN'
OH, YES
BUSES ARE A-COMIN'
OH, YES
Oprah: THOSE ARRESTS INSPIRED HUNDREDS MORE
TO BECOME FREEDOM RIDERS.
THEY CAME BY BUS, PLANE, AND TRAIN
FROM EVERY CORNER OF THE UNITED STATES TO MISSISSIPPI --
MEN AND WOMEN OF EVERY AGE, EVERY RACE AND RELIGION,
DETERMINED TO FILL PARCHMAN PRISON
AND OVERTHROW SEGREGATION.
OH, YES
ERNEST "RIP" PATTON JR.,
CAROL RUTH SILVER, AND CONGRESSMAN JOHN LEWIS
WERE AMONG THE 300 FREEDOM RIDERS
WHO SPENT THE SUMMER OF 1961 IN PARCHMAN PRISON.
CONGRESSMAN LEWIS, WHEN YOU ARRIVED IN MISSISSIPPI
AND KNOWING, AS I SAID EARLIER --
I GREW UP KNOWING IT'S ONE OF THE MOST RACIST STATES --
DID YOU KNOW YOU WERE IN TROUBLE?
WELL, I GREW UP IN ALABAMA. I THOUGHT ALABAMA WAS BAD.
BUT I HAD NEVER BEEN TO MISSISSIPPI BEFORE.
WHEN I SAW THAT SIGN THAT SAID,
"WELCOME TO MISSISSIPPI, THE MAGNOLIA STATE,"
MY HEART STARTED BEATING A LITTLE FASTER.
IT SEEMED LIKE THE AIR GOT WARMER.
I HEAR THAT THEY TRIED
TO MAKE YOUR PRISON SENTENCE ESPECIALLY MISERABLE, RIP.
Rip: YES, THEY DID.
WE DID A LOT OF SINGING.
AND THEY DIDN'T LIKE THE SINGING.
AND EVERY TIME THAT THEY WOULD THREATEN TO DO SOMETHING,
WE WOULD SING.
FOR EXAMPLE, "WE'RE GONNA TAKE YOUR MATTRESS."
YOU CAN TAKE OUR MATTRESS, OH, YES
[ LAUGHTER ]
YOU CAN TAKE OUR MATTRESS, OH, YES
YOU CAN TAKE OUR MATTRESS
YOU CAN TAKE OUR MATTRESS
YOU CAN TAKE OUR MATTRESS, OH, YES
NOW, THAT MEANT SLEEPING ON STEEL. MM-HMM.
BUT WE WERE WILLING TO GIVE UP THOSE MATTRESSES.
SO, WERE YOU -- YOU WERE ALSO IN PARCHMAN PRISON.
Carol: RIGHT.
THERE WERE 23 GIRLS --
I SAY GIRLS 'CAUSE WE WERE PRETTY YOUNG -- IN ONE CELL.
HOW OLD WERE YOU AT THE TIME?
I WAS 21. 21.
AND THOSE 23 GIRLS WERE IN A CELL IN HINDS COUNTY
THAT WAS BUILT FOR FOUR.
SO THERE WERE FOUR BUNKS,
AND THE REST OF US SLEPT ON THE FLOOR.
MM.
AND WE WERE TOLD, "THEY'RE GONNA TAKE YOU TO PARCHMAN,"
AND WE WERE REALLY AFRAID AT THAT POINT,
BECAUSE THE REPUTATION OF PARCHMAN IS
THAT IT'S A PLACE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE GET SENT
AND DON'T COME BACK. DON'T COME BACK FROM.
YES. WOW.
WE'RE GONNA PLAY "HALLELUJAH, I'M A-TRAVELIN',"
ONE OF THE SONGS THE FREEDOM RIDERS SAY
GOT THEM THROUGH THEIR DARKEST DAYS.
HALLELUJAH, I'M A-TRAVELIN'
HALLELUJAH, AIN'T IT FINE?
HALLELUJAH, I'M A-TRAVELIN'
DOWN FREEDOM'S MAIN LINE
ON SEPTEMBER 22, 1961,
THE INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION ISSUED AN ORDER
TAKING DOWN ALL OF THE JIM CROW SIGNS
FROM ALL OF THE BUS AND RAIL STATIONS IN THE SOUTH.
THE FREEDOM RIDERS HAD WON.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.
HALLELUJAH, I'M A-TRAVELIN'
HALLELUJAH, AIN'T IT FINE?
HALLELUJAH, I'M A-TRAVELIN'
DOWN FREEDOM'S MAIN LINE
Oprah: 50 YEARS AFTER THE ORIGINAL MOVEMENT,
40 COLLEGE STUDENTS ARE NOW RETRACING
THE ROOT OF THE FREEDOM RIDES.
FROM WASHINGTON, D.C., TO NEW ORLEANS,
THEY ARE RIDING ALONGSIDE SOME OF THE ORIGINAL FREEDOM RIDERS.
I'M GETTING ON THE BUS
BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.
I'M GETTING ON THE BUS BECAUSE THE MOVEMENT IS NOT FINISHED.
THE THING I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN IS
WHAT INSPIRES ORDINARY PEOPLE TO STAND UP FOR JUSTICE
AND HOW YOUNG PEOPLE CAN GET INVOLVED
IN SUSTAINING A MOVEMENT AROUND THE WORLD.
THAT'S WHAT'S GREAT. CONGRATULATIONS
TO WILLIAM, TO DOAA,
TO MICHAEL, TANIA, AND KAITLYN,
WHO WERE SELECTED OUT OF 1,000 STUDENTS
TO JOIN THE RIDES LATER THIS WEEK.
THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. CONGRATULATIONS.
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
WOW.
THANK YOU.
I WANTED TO DO THIS SHOW TODAY --
THANK YOU, STANLEY CROUCH, FOR TELLING ME ABOUT THE FILM.
I WANTED TO DO THE SHOW TODAY
BECAUSE I THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT
FOR ALL AMERICANS TO KNOW
WHO WE ARE, WHERE WE CAME FROM, HOW WE CAME TO BE.
YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOUR HISTORY IS.
RAY ARSENAULT IS THE FIRST PROFESSIONAL HISTORIAN
TO WRITE A COMPREHENSIVE BOOK ON JUST THIS MOVEMENT.
IT"S CALLED "FREEDOM RIDERS,"
AND IT'S A BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN HISTORICAL ACCOUNT.
YOU'RE A GIFTED STORYTELLER,
'CAUSE THIS IS ALL ABOUT EVERY STORY --
EACH INDIVIDUAL'S STORY HERE.
WHY DID YOU WANT TO TELL THIS AND THESE STORIES?
WELL, AS WE'VE SEEN TODAY,
THIS IS A STORY THAT HAD TO BE TOLD.
WHEN I BEGAN WORK ON THE BOOK ABOUT 13 YEARS AGO,
I WASN'T SURE THAT ANYBODY COULD DO FULL JUSTICE
TO THE FREEDOM RIDERS' STORY, BUT I HAD TO TRY.
MM-HMM.
AND JUST THE DRAMATIC POWER
OF WHAT THEY ACCOMPLISHED BACK IN 1961.
EVERYBODY WHO DARED TO GET ON THOSE BUSES
IS A HERO AND A HEROINE.
[ APPLAUSE ]
AND THAT --
THAT -- THAT'S REALLY THE STORY OF THE FREEDOM RIDES, TO ME.
THEY HAD THE COURAGE INSIDE THEMSELVES. RIGHT.
THEY FOUND SOMETHING LARGER THAN THEMSELVES,
AND THEY SIGNED ON FOR LIFE.
I MEAN, THEY WEREN'T GONNA PASS
THEIR RESPONSIBILITY OFF TO ANYONE ELSE.
IT'S ALWAYS THE YOUNG PEOPLE. RIGHT, STANLEY?
THAT'S TRUE.
STANLEY NELSON IS THE FILMMAKER
WHO WROTE, DIRECTED, AND PRODUCED
THE "FREEDOM RIDERS" DOCUMENTARY ON PBS.
[ APPLAUSE ]
YOU'VE BEEN SEEING FOOTAGE FROM IT
THROUGHOUT TODAY'S SHOW.
YEAH, I MEAN, THE FREEDOM RIDERS WERE A GROUP OF YOUNG PEOPLE
THAT SET OUT, AT GREAT PERSONAL RISK,
TO MAKE A CHANGE, AND THEY DID IT, YOU KNOW?
THERE WERE FORCES ALL LINED UP AGAINST THEM,
BUT THEY DIDN'T LET ANYTHING STOP THEM.
YEAH, THANK YOU, STANLEY. THANK YOU, RAY.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.
[ APPLAUSE ]
REALLY.
Oprah: THANK YOU TO LIBERTY MUTUAL
FOR INSPIRING A NEW GENERATION OF YOUNG PEOPLE
TO GET INVOLVED AND EXPERIENCE THE HISTORY
THAT HAS SHAPED THIS COUNTRY'S PAST AND PRESENT.
LIBERTY MUTUAL SUPPORTS THIS YEAR'S STUDENT FREEDOM RIDERS
AND THEIR MISSION TO HONOR AND PRESERVE
AN IMPORTANT AMERICAN LEGACY.
I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE A SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
TO FIVE OF THE VISIONARIES
WHO HELPED INSPIRE AND PLAN THE FREEDOM RIDES --
GEORGE HOUSER, GORDON CAREY,
TOM GAITHER,
AND REVERENDS JAMES LAWSON AND C.T. VIVIAN.
ALSO, REVEREND FRED SHUTTLESWORTH...
[ APPLAUSE ]
...PLAYED A CRITICAL ROLE
IN PROTECTING THE FREEDOM RIDERS.
THE FREEDOM RIDERS SAY
THEY WOULD NOT HAVE GOTTEN OUT OF ALABAMA ALIVE WITHOUT HIM.
REVEREND SHUTTLESWORTH WAS TAKEN ILL LAST NIGHT
AND COULDN'T BE HERE TODAY.
WE SEND YOU OUR BLESSINGS AND OUR LOVE
AND OUR DEEP APPRECIATION.
A BIG THANK-YOU AGAIN TO LIBERTY MUTUAL.
THANK YOU FOR HELPING US COMMEMORATE
THE 50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE FREEDOM RIDES.
I AM HOPING THAT YOU WILL TUNE IN,
MAKE IT A FAMILY NIGHT FOR THE "FREEDOM RIDERS" DOCUMENTARY,
AIRING ON PBS.
AND TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT IT.
IT HAS REALLY BEEN AN HONOR FOR ME
AND I KNOW FOR THOSE OF YOU
WHO WERE A PART OF THIS AUDIENCE TODAY
AND THOSE OF YOU AT HOME TO CELEBRATE ALL OF YOU.
ON BEHALF OF ALL OF AMERICA,
MAY I SAY YOU MAKE US PROUD TO CALL OURSELVES AMERICAN.
THANK YOU.
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
THANK YOU.
AND MAY I ALSO SAY WE STAND IN REVERENCE
FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE,
AND WE CAN ASK OURSELVES THESE QUESTIONS
AS WE LOOK AT THE COURAGE
THAT YOU ALL SHOWED AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE
WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE WORLD
AND WHAT CAN WE DO TO CHANGE IT.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THAT.
BYE, EVERYBODY.
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS
