The Supreme Court had ruled in Boynton v. Virginia in 1960 that segregated facilities serving interstate travelers were illegal, but Southern states ignored it. The Congress of Racial Equality organized the first ride, which left Washington, DC, on May 4, 1961. On May 14, a mob firebombed one bus outside Anniston, Alabama, and riders on another bus were beaten in Birmingham.
Students from Nashville, organized by leaders such as Diane Nash, continued the rides. Over the summer, more than 400 people took part. More than 300 were arrested in Jackson, Mississippi, and many were held in the state's Parchman prison farm. Earlier, in 1947, an interracial group had tested a similar ruling in the Journey of Reconciliation.
Under pressure from the riders and the Kennedy administration, the Interstate Commerce Commission issued rules on September 22, 1961, banning segregation in interstate bus travel. They took effect on November 1, 1961. The Freedom Riders National Monument in Anniston was established in 2017.