HR0341 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0341 LRB097 11845 KXB 55205 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, May 4, 2011 is the 50th anniversary of the Freedom Rides; on September 22, 1961, because of the dedication and sacrifice of almost 500 determined and strong men and women, the Interstate Commerce Commission issued an order that all Jim Crow signs must be removed from bus and rail stations in the South; and

WHEREAS, On May 4, 1961, the Freedom Rides began in Washington, D.C.; originally, 13 men and women boarded two buses and headed for the Deep South to test the federal laws prohibiting segregation; and

WHEREAS, The plan was to ride in the front of buses and sit in bus stop waiting rooms that were designated "whites only" and "colored"; and

WHEREAS, The Freedom Rides were organized by the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), which trained the men and women to be peaceful and nonviolent in the face of hatred and anger, and to not strike back against the people they would face on their trip; and

WHEREAS, John Lewis, now a current United States congressman, was one of the original 13 Freedom Riders; on May 9, 1961, after stepping off the bus and into a South Carolina bus terminal, he was attacked and beaten by an angry white man; after the beating, he was asked by police if he wanted to press charges and he responded that he and the other Freedom Riders were not there to cause trouble, so no charges would be pressed; and

WHEREAS, Elwin Wilson, the man who attacked young John Lewis that day, went to the congressman's office in 2009 and offered his apology; for years he had prayed that he could meet Representative Lewis and make amends for the beating; Representative Lewis accepted his apology and the two men have since become friends; and

WHEREAS, Other heroes included Hank Thomas, who was on a bus that was attacked after crossing the Alabama state border; as he laid in front of a small grocery store, the store owner's daughter, Janie Forsyth, offered him assistance and water; and

WHEREAS, Diane Nash, the leader of the Nashville Student Movement in 1961, offered to lead the second series of Freedom Rides, without regard for her own safety; former United States Attorney General Robert Kennedy sent his assistant, John Seigenthaler, to the South to represent his office; Mr. Seigenthaler was attacked by an angry mob in Nashville and Diane Nash also saw violence during her experience; and

WHEREAS, There were so many people who sacrificed a great amount to see changes in our country; through their love for others, their ability to remain peaceful in the face of hatred and bitterness, and their undying courage, change came to the South, and across the nation as a result of the Freedom Rides; and

WHEREAS, As a result of the examples of the original Freedom Riders, 40 college students began a journey on May 4, 2011 from Washington, D.C. to New Orleans to retrace the route of those important and history-changing trips through the South; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we commend Representative John Lewis, Hank Thomas, Janie Forsyth, Diane Nash, John Seigenthaler, and all the brave men and women who took part in or supported the original Freedom Rides; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to Representative John Lewis, Hank Thomas, Janie Forsyth, Diane Nash, and John Seigenthaler as symbols of our pride and respect for their bravery all those years ago.