Freedom Riders Premieres on PBS

The documentary Freedom Riders will premiere on the acclaimed PBS series American Experience on May 16, 2011, at 9:00 p.m. EST. Freedom Riders is an inspirational story focused on the period from May to November 1961, when more than 400 black and white Americans risked their lives to travel together throughout the Deep South on buses and trains. The Freedom Riders’ violation of Jim Crow laws brought them into contact with bitter racism and mob violence, testing their belief in nonviolent activism. The film chronicles the story behind this courageous group of civil rights activists.

Freedom Riders was one of 16 films selected for the U.S. Documentary Competition of the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. Produced by Firelight Media, a Campaign for Black Male Achievement grantee, Freedom Riders will serve as a centerpiece for a nationwide community engagement campaign.