Freedom Rides Museum

10/24/2026

Today we remember civil rights icon Rosa Parks, who died on this day in 2005 at the age of 92. Mrs.Parks was arrested in Montgomery, AL in December 1955 after refusing to give up her seat on a city bus to a white passenger. This action led to a large-scale city bus boycott. The boycott lasted over a year and successfully desegregated city transit in Montgomery. The effectiveness of this boycott would be studied during the planning of the CORE (Congress of Racial Equality) of 1961.

The photo seen here is Rosa Parks’ mugshot after her arrest in Montgomery, AL.

10/23/2026

For today’s , we are spotlighting Elizabeth Hirschfeld. Born May 21, 1937, Hirschfeld was working at the Atomic Energy Commission in Ithaca, NY at the time of the Freedom Rides. This was actually a cause of concern for the Kennedy administration who already believed that the Freedom Riders posed a threat to national security. In truth, she was a very low level worker at the time, having only recently graduated with her degree in Biology from Cornell University. Hirschfeld was one of five arrested in Jackson for participation in the Freedom Rides after taking a Greyhound bus from Nashville, TN to Jackson, MS on June 16, 1961. This further concerned the Kennedy administration, because it was becoming all too apparent that the Freedom Rides would not be a passing fad, but rather a nation-wide movement.

In an interview with Richmond Confidential, an online news platform from UC Berkeley, Hirschfeld said “I did it because I knew I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t take a stand. And I recommend that if you get a chance to take a stand, do it. Because it will live with you for the rest of your life, and you won’t regret it.”

10/21/2026

10/19/2026

This week’s focuses on “Get Your Rights, Jack,” a freedom song adapted from “Hit the Road, Jack” by Percy Mayfield, with new lyrics by CORE activists. Listen to a performance of “Get Your Rights, Jack” by the CORE Freedom Singers here: https://youtu.be/0pziENXe8Xg?feature=shared

10/19/2026

Happy Birthday to Reverend John Crocker Jr. who was 37 years old when he traveled on a Trailways bus from New Orleans, LA to Jackson, MS on September 13,1961.

10/18/2026

Happy Birthday to Byron Baer who was 31 years old when he traveled on a Greyhound bus from Nashville, TN to Jackson, MS on July 29, 1961.

10/17/2026

Happy Birthday to David Dennis who was 20 years old when he traveled on a Trailways bus from Montgomery, AL to Jackson, MS on May 24, 1961.

10/16/2026

Phillip Havey was born on June 29, 1930 in New Rochelle, NY. After graduating high school, he served in both the Army and the Air Force during the Korean War, serving in some of the first racially integrated air bases. After the war he attended Iona College, then moved to Manhattan and joined the Catholic Worker Movement.

At the time of the Freedom Rides, he was working as a political editor for “The Catholic Worker” newspaper. He and 7 others boarded a Greyhound bus from Nashville, TN to Jackson, MS on July 16, 1961. Upon arrival, all were arrested for “Breach of Peace”. Havey wrote a three page article about his time as a Freedom Rider in “The Catholic Worker” where he details the conditions the Riders endured while imprisoned at the infamous Parchman Penitentiary. Havey discusses the overcrowded cells and terrible heat stating that he lost over 15 lbs due to sweat and dehydration during his short time there.

After the Freedom Rides, Havey continued his activism representing the Catholic Workers on the Committee for Nonviolent Action and helping to organize the San Francisco to Moscow Walk for Peace. He worked as an architect for a time before being hired by the federal Department of Education and moving to California. During his time with the federal government, Havey helped with the transition to computers until he retired in 1995. Today Havey lives in Berkeley, CA.

The image seen here is Havey’s mugshot taken after his arrest in Jackson, MS for his participation in the Freedom Rides.

10/16/2026

Happy Birthday to Abraham Bassford IV who was 24 years old when he traveled on a Trailways bus from New Orleans, LA to Jackson, MS on June 6, 1961.

10/14/2026

Happy Birthday to Joseph Gerbac who was 21 years old when he traveled by train from New Orleans, LA to Jackson, MS on July 30, 1961.