Journey of Reconciliation
The Journey of Reconciliation was a pivotal event in the early civil rights movement that took place in 1947, inspired by earlier legal victories and the experiences of returning African American soldiers after World War II. Initiated by the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), this campaign involved a mixed-race group of twelve individuals who undertook bus rides through the upper South to challenge segregation laws. The participants were instructed to assert their legal rights by sitting in designated areas contrary to segregationist norms, a direct response to a Supreme Court ruling that deemed the enforcement of such segregation on interstate travel unconstitutional.
The outcomes of these bus rides were varied; in some cities, riders successfully sat wherever they chose, reflecting a glimmer of progress, while in others, participants faced immediate arrests and severe penalties. Notably, the harsh treatment of riders underscored the persistent reality of racial segregation. Despite the immediate challenges, the Journey of Reconciliation laid the groundwork for future civil rights actions, influencing key figures and events, including Rosa Parks and the Montgomery bus boycott, as well as the Freedom Rides of the 1960s. This initiative marked a significant moment in the quest for racial equality, setting a precedent for nonviolent resistance against systemic discrimination.
Journey of Reconciliation
The Event Series of integrated bus rides throughout segregated southern states that peacefully explored the challenging racial climate in the United States after World War II
Date April 9-23, 1947
Places Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky
The Journey of Reconciliation, a carefully planned two-week event in April, 1947, in which white men rode in the back of segregated southern buses while black men rode in the front, established nonviolent direct action as the primary model for racial protest in the United States in the years immediately following World War II. The swift arrests of many of these pre-Freedom Riders were ultimately overshadowed by their ability to inspire future nonviolent protesters.
It was largely the effect of two events in 1946 that led to Journey of Reconciliation one year later. First, Irene Morgan, nearly a decade before Rosa Parks’s famed bus ride, won a Supreme Court case on June 3 that stated that enforcing segregation laws of interstate bus passengers was unconstitutional, as it forced an “undue burden on interstate commerce.” Second, African American soldiers were returning home from active duty in World War II and were honorably resisting riding in segregated vehicles upon their arrival.
Sensing an opportunity to make strong headway based on these events, the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), which had been formed in 1942, decided that it would establish a team of six white men and six black men to take bus rides throughout the upper South over a two-week span in April, 1947. Led by founding CORE members George Houser and Bayard Rustin, the instructions to the riders were simple: The white passengers were to select a seat toward the back of the bus, while the African Americans were to sit in the front. If a passenger was asked to move, he was instructed to remain in his seat and declare that the United States Supreme Court had ruled that they are legally justified to remain where they were. If arrested, the passengers were to peacefully acquiesce and enter into police custody until assisted by their lawyer or the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Passengers on most rides were swiftly arrested, although a few rides saw no arrests at all. While many of the arrested passengers were released on bond, a handful suffered harsher convictions. In North Carolina, Judge Henry Whitfield sentenced two African American riders, Bayard Rustin and Andrew Johnson, to thirty days on a chain gang, only then to hand down a ninety-day sentence to two white riders, Igal Roodenko and Joseph Felmet, whom the judge thought were most to blame for upsetting southern customs.
Impact
The immediate impact of the Journey of Reconciliation yielded mixed results. In select cities, riders were allowed to sit wherever they wished, offering a glimmer of hope regarding racial progress. On other bus trips, the immediate arrest of the passengers and harsh penalties for their nonviolent actions highlighted the reality that segregation was still a rampant force throughout much of the South. Most important, the bus rides inspired peaceful protesters of later decades who would dominate the Civil Rights movement. The Journey of Reconciliation had a direct influence on Rosa Parks, the Montgomery bus boycott, and the Freedom Rides of the 1960’s. It set the standard for direct action by reasonably challenging American racial boundaries during the late 1940’s.
Bibliography
Catsam, Derek Charles. Freedom’s Main Line: The Journey of Reconciliation and the Freedom Rides. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2008.
D’Emilio, John. Lost Prophet: The Life and Times of Bayard Rustin. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2004.