The Pioneers
In April 1947 sixteen men—eight black and eight white—boarded a bus in Washington, DC to test compliance with a recent Supreme Court ruling that outlawed segregation on interstate bus travel. Their effort blazed a trail for the Freedom Riders who followed in their footsteps nearly fifteen years later.
For more online exclusives, visit pbs.org/freedomriders.
About the Film
My American Experience
Share Your Story
We invite you to tell us your own stories - whether you lived through a tumultuous time period or learned about it from a relative, a book or a movie.
