ATLANTA — A Georgia congressman is working to see that the Freedom Riders, who played a pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement through a strategic challenging of Jim Crow segregation in the South, are given Congress' highest honor.
Rep. Hank Johnson, whose 4th District includes much of DeKalb County and southeast metro Atlanta, has re-introduced a measure calling on Congress to award the Freedom Riders the Congressional Gold Medal. The bipartisan resolution was re-introduced with Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina and has nearly 60 co-sponsors, including fellow Georgia representatives Nikema Williams and David Scott.
"This is an acknowledgment of history and also a move to show those who had such an important, positive impact positive impact on our history that we appreciate the work that they did," Rep. Johnson told 11Alive. "And we also acknowledge that it takes all of us."
The Freedom Rides began on May 4, 1961, and would continue throughout the year, eventually incorporating hundreds of young activists.
"Despite enduring vicious attacks and imprisonment for simply traveling together on buses and trains as they traveled through the Deep South, the Freedom Riders challenged bitter racism and mob violence with nonviolent activism," a release from Johnson's office notes.
In particular, the activists were targeting bus segregation which had been outlawed by recent Supreme Court decisions but nonetheless carried on in the Jim Crow South.
Among those on the first Freedom Ride in May 1961 was John Lewis. Two of the original 13 riders, Hank Thomas of Stone Mountain and Charles Person of Atlanta, are still living.
The release by Johnson's office says that if Congress approves the honor, "the Freedom Riders would receive the medal as a group, and it would be displayed at the Smithsonian Museum."
“In our modern movement for equality and racial justice, recognizing the sacrifices and bravery of our forebearers helps us understand our past and envision a more equitable, bright and just future for all,” Johnson said in a statement. “I’m honored Congresswoman Mace is joining me in this effort to recognize these heroes who risked their lives to make America better.”