Freedom Ride Essay

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In 1961, the US Freedom Rides was quite a significant event that is still remembered by many Americans and African-Americans today. It was the time when racial discrimination and segregation had existed and has had an immense effect and impact on African-Americans. Yet, it had ended after a lot of hard work protesting, campaigning in different areas of America and thanks to some key events that had also helped along with these including the Birmingham Campaign and Martin Luther King Jr’s activism. This event of the United States however is a lot similar to events that had occurred in Australia at the time and is considered to be an inspiration to Aboriginal activism and protest in Australia. The event that took place for the Aboriginal activism …show more content…

When the students were at Walgett, they stood in front of the Returned Services League (RSL Club) and demonstrated against racial discrimination that they had practised. The SAFA not only demonstrated their practices of racial discrimination against Aboriginal people, but ensured that they got extensive media coverage so that the whole of Australia can see what is going in these rural country towns of western New South Wales, hence raising awareness amongst people in Australia. At the time, the media had gone crazy with all of the headlines regarding the Aboriginal discrimination in western NSW. It had exposed an endemic racism in Australia at that time. After all the terrible things that have been done against Aboriginal people, the news coverage had also said, with ignorance, that racism did not exist in …show more content…

The Australians got the ideas of non-violent direct action from Martin Luther King Jr and the bus trip going around a significant amount of distance protesting and raising awareness for the affected race, when a group of students went to the United States to protest against racial segregation in 1964. The events that had helped the 1965 Freedom Rides by SAFA to become a success, in the United States, include the Birmingham Campaign and Martin Luther King Jr’s

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