Anniston in Calhoun County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
Greyhound Bus Station Protest, May 14, 1961
| | Anniston Civil Rights Trail | |
Photographed by Mark Hilton, August 5, 2017
1. Greyhound Bus Station Protest, May 14, 1961 Marker (Front)
Front
This was the site of the Greyhound bus terminal where on May 14, 1961, a bus carrying black and white Civil Rights Activists known as "Freedom Riders" was attacked by a mob of whites who were protesting desegregation of public transportation facilities.
As the Riders remained on board, the mob hit the bus with bats and pipes, slashed its tires, and shouted insults. After local law enforcement intervened, the bus departed for Birmingham.
Inset photo: Protestors at Greyhound Bus Station. Photograph courtesy Public Library of Anniston and Calhoun County.
Reverse
Six miles outside Anniston on Alabama Highway 202, the Greyhound bus that had been attacked earlier by a mob of white extremists on this site was forced to stop because of a deflated tire. The pursuing mob intensified its attack and set the bus on fire, forcing the riders to depart. On board were "Freedom Riders" who were testing Boynton v. Virginia, the Supreme Court decision that segregation of public transportation was illegal.
After federal intervention at the site of the burning bus, the injured Riders were transported
this page online
Erected 2016 by City of Anniston Historic Trails Program. (Marker Number 3.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Roads & Vehicles. In addition, it is included in the Anniston Civil Rights Trail, Alabama series list. A significant historical date for this entry is May 14, 1961.
Location. 33° 39.484′ N, 85° 49.879′ W. Marker is in Anniston, Alabama, in Calhoun County. It is on Gurnee Avenue north of West 10th Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1031 Gurnee Avenue, Anniston AL 36201, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in East Alabama. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate
Photographed by Mark Hilton, August 5, 2017
2. Greyhound Bus Station Protest, May 14, 1961 Marker (reverse)
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: 1031 Gurnee Avenue (here, next to this marker); 50 Years Later (a few steps from this marker); The Photograph (a few steps from this marker); Triumph (a few steps from this marker); Rescue / Escape (a few steps from this marker); The Burning Bus (a few steps from this marker); Horror and Disbelief (a few steps from this marker); Pursuit / Trapped (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Anniston.
Regarding Greyhound Bus Station Protest, May 14, 1961. In January 2017, President Obama leveraged the Antiquities Act of 1906 and proclaimed two historic sites in Calhoun County, Alabama, as the “Freedom Riders National Monument,”, part of the National Park Service, the nations first national monument dedicated to telling the story of the Freedom Rides. The two sites included this former Greyhound Bus Station and the Freedom Riders Park, located at the site of the bus burning six miles west of Anniston, off Highway 202.
Related marker. Click here
Photographed by Mark Hilton, August 5, 2017
3. Greyhound Bus Station Protest, May 14, 1961 Marker
Also see . . .
1. Wikipedia article on the Freedom Riders. (Submitted on August 6, 2017, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)
2. The Freedom Riders, Then and Now from the Smithsonian Magazine. (Submitted on August 6, 2017, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)
Photographed by Mark Hilton, August 5, 2017
4. Greyhound Bus Station Protest display in alley.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 7, 2021. It was originally submitted on August 6, 2017, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 1,902 times since then and 59 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 6, 2017, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
