"Keep Your Eyes On The Prize, Hold On"

I learned about the Freedom Riders. I never knew about that aspect in the Civil Rights Act. The horrible things that happened to them when they rode the bus anywhere; they were beat and ridiculed and the "n" word was used a lot. They knew when they got on the bus what could and would probably happen to them. Even they white supporters who rode the bus with them were severely beaten. One man was beaten so horribly that he would be damaged for the rest of his life. This entire movie is pretty powerful and sends out such a strong message about following your beliefs and doing what it takes to be heard and make a change for the better; it shows that you don't have to be a violent extremist to make a difference in the world. Peaceful action can take you further than violence. The ones who were in the wrong were the white community who violated their neighbors' rights as citizens of this country. They only wanted to be treated equally. The Negros paid the same state tax; they put money into the economy by shopping in the same stores as the rest of the community. They hold jobs as teachers, lawyers, clergymen, doctors; they work in stores and businesses as the cleaning crew they are seamstresses, receptionists and secretaries. They were well educated, sometimes even more so than many of the whites that despised them. They were a large part of any community and yet they were largely ignored and treated poorly. Dr. King came into the picture and helped to keep the black community inspired and to not give up hope on something that they all deserved and what he knew was coming if they remained a united front and kept going. "Fear not, for we have come too far to turn back now" is what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. told them.