So much has been said and written down as evidence of the events that took place as the Americans were fighting for their civil rights. However, just like most other written history, the truth is dependent upon the persons who were in positions of influence or those who were aiming at something bigger. For this reason, certain stories tend to be skewed towards elevating the profiles of a few individuals while failing to pay attention to the other individuals (in most cases the majority) who also contributed greatly towards the achievements (Brinkley  para. 2). Such is the case in American history where a few great men, national heroes like Martin Luther King Jr, get almost all the plaudits for their contribution towards attaining civil rights for all American citizens, at the expense of the local heroes who also played a huge towards achieving the success of the civil rights movement. In truth, the civil rights movement was helped immensely by the local heroes who put their lives and freedom on the line in pursuit of the civil rights. Case in point is the freedom riders.

Despite having been outlawed by the Supreme court, southern states still had bus and train termini that segregated black passengers from the white travelers, both in the waiting lounges as well as when traveling. The freedom riders were a group of civil rights activists (of white and black origin) who decided to organize a “sit-in” of their own, sitting randomly in the bus as they made their way through the Deep South from Washington (Locke and Wright para. 11). However, during the initial May 1961 trip, the freedom riders were waylaid by the Ku Klux Klan who apparently had been allowed about fifteen minutes by the state police to do anything to the freedom riders with the assurance that no arrests would be made during that time (Anderson  10). Despite completing their journey by air, the violent attacks by the KKK did not mark the end of the freedom rides.

Among the freedom riders was Stokely Carmichael who was one of the influential leaders of the freedom riders. At only 19 years old, Carmichael in the company of eight other freedom riders traveled to Mississippi from New Orleans and got thrown into jail, Parchman State Prison Farm, without bail on arrival. The prison term was designed to make Carmichael and the other riders to reconsider their cause by limiting their freedom of movement and association with special harsh conditions specifically designed for Carmichael and his accomplices. For instance, Arsenault (234) noted that the prisoners were kept isolated in their two-person cells for five days, only coming out when going to shower. The denial of communal interactions with other freedom riders or other leisure activities made life at Parchman very boring. The high volumes of freedom riders at the facility led to the transfer of some freedom riders, including Carmichael, to the maximum security wing. Despite rarely facing any physical brutality, here these prisoners were subjected to harsh conditions like artificially constructed high or low temperatures through either sealing of all windows or using a giant fan to blow cold air into the cells (Arsenault 235).

The experiences at Parchman served to unify the freedom riders and increased their resolve at achieving their cause. Additionally, Locke and Wright (para. 11) posit that the resolve of these New Orleans freedom riders to endure the violent resistance from locals generated national attention. Later in 1961, the authorities caved in and enforced the law allowing the integration of individuals using the interstate trains and buses. It is the braveness of Carmichael alongside other freedom riders to face the violence and harsh prison conditions that ought to be given more praise in place of the great men that get all the credit.