Response to Questions:
1. In May 1961, students including of blacks and whites, challenged the segregation system in the US by riding interstate buses into the Deep South. They called them selves the freedom riders. However, these kinds of acts were dangerous and life risking, as there were white mobs and other people who responded with violence.
2. This event took place in Tuesday, 16th of May, 1961.
3. Stanely Nelson, Bernard Lafayette and Jim Zwerg.
4. The freedom riders consisted of both whites and blacks. They would ride an interstate bus (Greyhound buses and Trailways buses) which traveled to the Deep South (Washington DC to New Orleans). They tested the segregation system by sitting whites and blacks together in the front row of the bus, eat together in bus station restaurants, and go into the different 'color' restrooms (whites into the color restroom and blacks into the white only restroom).
5. The freedom riders would be severely beaten and imprisoned (at Mississipi). In some occassions, the buses they were riding would be burned by the white mobs.
6. I think the transitional justice used in this case was institutional reform. Since the first 12 freedom riders began their journey, hundreds of blacks and whites from all over the country were inspired to join the movement and become freedom riders. As the numbers of the freedom riders grew bigger, the federal government eventually eliminated segregation of color in public transportations.
7. What made an impression on me is the courage of those 12 students who initially started this movement. It would have taken a lot of courage and determination to do this kind of act and I personally value them. Also, another thing that made an impression is the fact that the federal government and president John F. Kennedy tried to ignore and refuse getting invovled in the matter. It gave me an idea of human rights in those days: How they were often times ignored and deprived from the people.
8. I would have gotten on to the bus and became a freedom rider. The main reason why I would make that decision is that I personally value non-racism and color segregations, thus I would have walked the path of achieving my values.
Also, talking about justice and injustice, I say that segregation is an act of injust because it is depriving one's human rights, so to be just, I would have gotten on to the bus.
9. If I had the power to do so, I would firstly bring forth an institutional reform to eliminate the color segregation in public transportations and prosecute all the white mobs who constanty caused violence to this peaceful protest. I would prosecute them under the law, as beating up an innocent civilian/protestor is on the wrong side of justice.
