Fifty years ago today, the first of a series of Freedom Rides left from Washington, DC. The 13 riders sought to challenge segregation in the South. During the trip, the integrated bus met with Martin Luther King Jr. and encountered strong resistance throughout the South. Their ride inspired over 400 people to embark upon similar journeys. Above, faces of Freedom Riders arrested in Jackson, Mississippi.
(Flickr/snakepliskens)
