r/FaithInHumanity

The original courageous Freedom Riders movement began in 1961.

The first group, organized by Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), had 13 original Freedom Riders:
• 7 Black riders
• 6 white riders

They left Washington, D.C. on May 4, 1961, riding interstate buses into the Deep South to challenge segregation in bus terminals after Supreme Court rulings had already declared it unconstitutional.

After brutal mob attacks in Alabama, including the firebombing of a bus in Anniston and savage beatings in Birmingham and Montgomery, more activists joined. The movement quickly expanded beyond the original 13.

By the end of 1961, more than 400 Freedom Riders had participated across the South. Many were arrested and sent to Mississippi’s notorious Parchman Prison.

Hezekiah Watkins
At just 13 years old, Watkins became the youngest Freedom Rider ever arrested. His involvement happened almost by accident when he went to the Jackson, Mississippi, Greyhound station to see the riders arrive. In the chaos, he was swept up by police and sent to the notorious Parchman State Penitentiary. Initially placed on death row to intimidate him, he spent several days in the prison before being released. This traumatic experience did not deter him; he went on to become a lifelong activist, dedicated to educating others about the struggle for justice in Mississippi.

Joan Trumpauer Mulholland
A rare figure in the movement, Mulholland was a white woman from a privileged Southern background who turned her back on social expectations to fight for racial equality. By the time she joined the Freedom Rides, she was already a seasoned activist involved in sit-ins. In 1961, she was imprisoned in Parchman for over two months. She later became the first white student to enroll at Tougaloo College, a historically Black institution, and was a primary organizer for the 1963 March on Washington. She famously survived a near-lynching during the Woolworth’s lunch counter sit-in.

Ameen Tuunagane (Willie James)
Known during the movement as Willie James, Tuunagane was a relentless civil rights organizer and Freedom Rider. He was part of the waves of activists who traveled to Jackson, Mississippi, to challenge Jim Crow laws. His work extended far beyond the buses; he was deeply involved in voter registration drives and community organizing, often operating in high-risk areas where the threat of police and vigilante violence was constant. His commitment focused on the intersection of political power and basic human dignity.

Carol Ruth Silver
A recent law school graduate at the time, Silver joined the Freedom Rides to put her legal principles into practice. She was arrested in Jackson and, like many others, served time in Parchman Penitentiary. During her incarceration, she kept a secret diary on scraps of paper, documenting the harrowing conditions and the psychological tactics used by guards. Her later career was defined by this experience; she became a prominent lawyer and politician in San Francisco, continuing her advocacy for civil rights and educational reform for decades.

Kredelle Pettway
Pettway was a dedicated activist who participated in the movement during the height of the 1960s racial tensions. As a young woman, she joined the ranks of those demanding the desegregation of public facilities in Alabama and Mississippi. Her contribution highlights the essential role of local youth and women in maintaining the momentum of the movement. She faced the constant threat of the Ku Klux Klan and state-sanctioned violence, standing firm in the belief that the "separate but equal" doctrine was a moral and legal failure.

The move is being praised, but it also exposes a bigger issue. In Major League Baseball, long-term healthcare is tied to service time. Players who don’t reach certain thresholds can lose access to coverage once they’re out of the league. That leaves many former players, especially those dealing with injuries or mental health challenges, without consistent care.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingeborg\_Rapoport

In Looking for Richard (1996), Al Pacino sets out to make Shakespeare accessible by blending rehearsal footage, street interviews, and performances from Richard III. One striking moment comes when Pacino speaks with an unhoused man who offers a simple but powerful idea: that engaging with Shakespeare could help curb violence by elevating how people think, speak, and understand human nature.

The documentary moves between New York City streets and staged scenes with actors like Kevin Spacey, Winona Ryder, and Alec Baldwin, exploring themes of power, ambition, and morality. That brief exchange captures the film’s core argument. Shakespeare isn’t just for classrooms or elites. It’s a tool for empathy, reflection, and self-awareness, even in the hardest circumstances.

He may have a herniated disc, or IVDD, we won’t know which until we can get the imaging which along with the surgery totals $11k 😰

He is family to us. He’s been there through everything, and I just want to do the same for him now. We can empty our savings to pay for half the procedure but have been denied loans for the other half.

We started a GoFundMe to try and give him a chance at a full recovery. If you’re able to donate, even a small amount would mean the world to us. And if you can’t, sharing this post would help more than you know.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this ❤️

https://gofund.me/a81333a39