Reverse Freedom Rides facts for kids

The Reverse freedom rides were a series of bus trips in 1962. Southern groups sent African Americans from cities in the South to cities mostly in the North. They were given free one-way bus tickets. They were also promised good jobs and free homes. But these promises were not true. There were no jobs or homes waiting for them. Some people found work, but most did not.

The Story of the Reverse Freedom Rides

How the Rides Started

The Reverse Freedom Rides were a copy of the Freedom Rides. The original Freedom Rides were organized by groups like the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). They fought for equal rights. The reverse rides were started by George Singelmann. He was part of the Greater Citizens' Council in New Orleans. He wanted to get back at people in the North who supported civil rights.

Singelmann saw these rides as a way to test people in the North. He wanted to show that white Northerners were not truly serious about racial equality. In a TV interview, he said Northerners "have been crying the sing song on behalf of the Negroes." He felt it was time for them to "put up or shut up." Singelmann also wanted to get media attention. He also hoped to remove some African Americans from state welfare lists. He thought they were using too many state resources.

Planning the Rides

At first, Singelmann and the Citizens' Council wanted to send thousands of African American families North. They tried to get $100,000 from the Louisiana State Legislature. But they failed. So, they had to rely on money from individuals and other groups.

The first reverse freedom riders arrived in New York on April 20, 1962. By the spring of 1963, the plan was widely known. The Citizens' Council also ran out of money. They did not reach their goal. But they still managed to trick about 200 to 300 African Americans into taking part. The most common cities they were sent to were New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles.

Image of the Boyd Family printed in the Simpson Leader-Times

The first family sent on a reverse freedom ride was the Boyd Family. They were sent from New Orleans to New York City. Lewis and Dorothy Boyd arrived at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City. They had traveled for 43 hours with their eight children. They were expecting another child. Lewis Boyd had been unemployed for three years.

There was no job waiting for them. But the news media was there. The Citizens' Council would tell the press about each ride. This made sure the media covered the story. The Boyds were chosen as the first family. Singelmann knew the media would be very interested in them. He also saw them as a high priority to remove from the state.

In May 1962, the Citizens' Council of America supported Singelmann's rides. This happened because Northern newspapers kept criticizing race relations in the South. The Council said they wanted to find a "solution to said racial chaos." They urged Southern groups to help "dissatisfied Negroes" move from the South. This led to groups in Louisiana, Georgia, and Alabama joining the effort.

A spokesperson for the Louisiana Councils said, "We want to see if northern politicians really love the negro or whether they love his vote." Historians believe this statement encouraged Southern groups to work together. They wanted to move African Americans from the South. The Mississippi House of Representatives also supported this idea. They passed their own resolution. It stressed the need to "redistribute dissatisfied Negro population to other areas."

How Did People React?

Criticism of the Rides

Many important people in the South strongly supported the Reverse Freedom Rides. However, once the full plan was known, most reactions were negative. James Farmer, who organized the original Freedom Rides, called the Citizens' Councils' methods "a device to gain cheap publicity." He said it caused "personal suffering." Civil Rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Roy Wilkins also criticized the rides.

Some politicians spoke out against the plan. Otto Kerner Jr., the governor of Illinois, compared the plan to Hitler's actions. He said it was like the Nazis deporting Jewish people. Kenneth Keating, a New York Senator, called the Citizens' Council's actions "cruel and callous."

The Reverse Freedom Rides even got the attention of President Kennedy. But his response was careful. He did not want to lose support from Southerners. Kennedy called the rides "deplorable." But he also said, "there is no violation of law." He called it "A rather cheap exercise." Many newspapers also shared their opinions. The New York Times called it "A cheap trafficking in human misery on the part of Southern racists."

Southern Support and Mixed Views

Singelmann and the Citizens' Council were happy with some public reactions. They felt it proved their point. They thought it showed Northerners were not willing or able to support African Americans. John Volpe, the Governor of Massachusetts, worried his state would be overwhelmed. He feared "impoverished Blacks" coming to his state. He asked for a federal law to stop the rides.

After Singelmann announced two buses were heading to Washington D.C., The Washington Post published an article. It said some families might regret leaving New Orleans. It noted that Washington D.C. was a big city. It might not handle human problems well. It also said Congress had made welfare agencies there "not good enough" to help with poverty. But it added that people would still be welcomed with good will.

Willie Rainach was the first president of the Citizens Councils of America. He responded to these comments. He encouraged other Citizens Councils in the South to continue their efforts. He said, "For the first time, we are on the offensive. We have exposed the hypocrisy of the people of the North."

Some Southern politicians, newspapers, and activists supported the Reverse Freedom Rides. For example, Allen J. Ellender, a Louisiana Senator, supported the Council. He said, "I want Negros from the South to learn they are better taken care of in the South." Some Southern newspapers, like the Louisiana press, stayed mostly neutral. They did not cover the rides much. Others were more practical in their reports. Surprisingly, the segregationist newspaper Birmingham Post-Herald admitted the rides "may be good for a few laughs down here." But it added that it would not help their cause or make them friends.