The terminal was the departure point for the Freedom Ride 1961 on board a Greyhound bus.
On May 4, 1961, thirteen black and white men and women aged 18 to 61 divided into two mixed groups boarded a Trailways bus (from the Trailways Terminal located a block away) and a Greyhound bus (from this terminal) in Washington, DC to begin a two week trip into Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.
They planned on arriving in New Orleans, Louisiana on May 17, 1961.

This trip was called "Freedom Ride 1961" and was sponsored by the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE).
It was inspired by the "Journey of Reconciliation" undertaken in 1947 by eight black men and eight white men.
The 1961 trip was to test  the non-enforcement of the Supreme Court of the United States decisions Morgan v. Virginia (1946) and Boynton v. Virginia (1960) which ruled that segregated public buses were unconstitutional.
The Southern states had ignored the rulings and the federal government did nothing to enforce them.

The Freedom Riders' tactics for their journey were to have at least one interracial pair sitting in adjoining seats, and at least one black rider sitting up front, where seats under segregation had been reserved for white customers by local custom throughout the South.
The rest of the team would sit scattered throughout the rest of the bus.
One rider would abide by the South's segregation rules in order to avoid arrest and to contact CORE and arrange bail for those who were arrested.

The participants where all volunteers and did not encounter any issues on their departure from the Greyhound and Trailways Terminals in Washington, DC.
They encountered some small incidents in Virginia and North Carolina and John Lewis was attacked in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
However, in Birmingham, Alabama and in Anniston, Alabama extensive violence took place which made international news.
With the support of local authorities, the Ku Klux Klan organized violence against the group.
The Greyhound bus was attacked and firebombed and both groups were beaten by the mobs.
This trip played a significant role in the Civil Rights Movement.
The terminal was the departure point for the Freedom Ride 1961 on board a Greyhound bus. On May 4, 1961, thirteen black and white men and women aged 18 to 61 divided into two mixed groups boarded a Trailways bus (from the Trailways Terminal located a block away) and a Greyhound bus (from this terminal) in Washington, DC to begin a two week trip into Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. They planned on arriving in New Orleans, Louisiana on May 17, 1961.
This trip was called "Freedom Ride 1961" and was sponsored by the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). It was inspired by the "Journey of Reconciliation" undertaken in 1947 by eight black men and eight white men. The 1961 trip was to test  the non-enforcement of the Supreme Court of the United States decisions Morgan v. Virginia (1946) and Boynton v. Virginia (1960) which ruled that segregated public buses were unconstitutional. The Southern states had ignored the rulings and the federal government did nothing to enforce them.
The Freedom Riders' tactics for their journey were to have at least one interracial pair sitting in adjoining seats, and at least one black rider sitting up front, where seats under segregation had been reserved for white customers by local custom throughout the South. The rest of the team would sit scattered throughout the rest of the bus. One rider would abide by the South's segregation rules in order to avoid arrest and to contact CORE and arrange bail for those who were arrested.
The participants where all volunteers and did not encounter any issues on their departure from the Greyhound and Trailways Terminals in Washington, DC. They encountered some small incidents in Virginia and North Carolina and John Lewis was attacked in Rock Hill, South Carolina. However, in Birmingham, Alabama and in Anniston, Alabama extensive violence took place which made international news. With the support of local authorities, the Ku Klux Klan organized violence against the group. The Greyhound bus was attacked and firebombed and both groups were beaten by the mobs. This trip played a significant role in the Civil Rights Movement.
Old Greyhound Terminal (Washington, D.C.)