Sac History Happenings: Exhibit recounts California freedom riders

Sac History Happenings

News and developments in Sacramento and California history

February 5, 2011

Exhibit recounts California freedom riders

Staring today and running through May 29 is a new California Museum exhibit recounting the lesser-known "freedom ride" that departed Los Angeles for Houston in August 1961.

The Freedom Rides involved groups of civil rights activists -- young and old, black and white -- traveling by bus, train and plane to the South to challenge segregation and Jim Crow laws. They were often met with angry mobs, arrests and beatings. The eleven Californians who boarded the train in Los Angeles were arrested while staging a sit-in at Houston's Union Station coffee shop. Police jailed the protesters and segregated them by race and gender. All the white men were beaten by other prisoners who were egged on by guards, according to a recent interview with one of the Riders. You can see historic photos at the Freedom Riders Foundation web site.

"Get on Board" exhibit features newspaper clips, photographs, political buttons, manuscripts and oral histories. It's presented in partnership with the California Legislative Black Caucus and the Mayme Clayton Library and Museum.

The California Museum for History, Women and the Arts
1020 O Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 653-7524

PHOTO CREDIT: Freedom Riders from California are held at Harris County jail in Houston after refusing to post $500 bonds. Photo by the Associated Press.

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California and Sacramento have a long, rich, vibrant history. And our region is blessed with an abundance of historical resources maintained by museums, libraries, archives and societies. This blog aims to alert readers to the latest developments in local/state historical education and research.

Send tips concerning upcoming exhibits, tours, lectures and meetings, as well as new books, magazine articles and online collections to the blog's contributors.

The Contributors:

Michael Dolgushkin

Michael Dolgushkin is Manuscript Librarian at the California State Library History Section. He is co-author of San Francisco's California Street Cable Cars and is a frequent contributor to the California State Library Foundation Bulletin. Contact him at mdolgushkin@library.ca.gov.

Amanda Graham is a Certified Archivist working in the Sacramento Room of the Sacramento Public Library. She earned a BS in History from Southern Oregon University and a MS in Information Studies with an emphasis in archives from The University of Texas at Austin. Contact her at agraham@saclibrary.org.

Pete Basofin is Director of Editorial Research at The Sacramento Bee. He previously worked at The St. Petersburg Times and Columbia (Mo.) Daily Tribune. Contact him at pbasofin@sacbee.com.

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