Tonight PBS is airing “Freedom Riders”, Stanley Nelson’s award-winning documentary about the 1961 Freedom Rides, when more than 400 Black and white Americans risked their lives traveling on buses and trains throughout the south challenging the Jim Crow laws. This is a powerful, inspirational story of an important part of American history. Check your local listings for show times, watch it tonight with your sons and daughters, or record it so that you can all watch together at a later time.

You and your children should also explore the PBS companion website, found here, which includes a teacher’s study guide chock full of in-depth information about the Freedom Riders.

Our children need to know and understand our history, and it is up to us to ensure that they do.