Chapter 11, Baptism on Wheels, Summary and Analysis

Thirteen riders in two groups boarded buses on the morning of May 4, 1961. One group boarded a Greyhound, the other a Trailways, with the intention of testing whether they, as a racially integrated group, would be allowed to use the white restaurants and waiting areas in the bus terminals as allowed for interstate travelers by a Supreme Court ruling. The first few days of the ride were uneventful, with most of the bus terminals in the east not fighting their actions. During these first few days, Robert Kennedy made a speech in Georgia declaring that his office would not allow racial tension to cause the United States to appear weak on an international level.

The first sign of trouble for the Freedom Riders took place in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Lewis was one of the first...