To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the Freedom Riders, collectively, in recognition of their unique contribution to Civil Rights, which inspired a revolutionary movement for equality in interstate travel.

Key Points

• Congress is considering a bill to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the Freedom Riders. This is one of the highest honors the U.S. government can give to people who have made a major impact on the country's history and culture.
• The award recognizes the group of Black and White activists who traveled together on buses through the South in 1961. They faced extreme violence and jail time to challenge illegal rules that kept people of different races separated in bus stations and on public transportation.
• The bill explains how these nonviolent protests led the federal government to ban segregation in all bus and train stations that serve people traveling between states. Their courage helped change the law and inspired the broader Civil Rights Movement.
• Once created, the gold medal would be given to the Smithsonian Institution. The Smithsonian would be encouraged to display the medal at the museum and other locations connected to the history of the Freedom Riders so the public can see it.
• The U.S. Mint would also be allowed to make and sell bronze copies of the medal to the public. The money from these sales would be used to help cover the costs of making the original gold medal and the duplicates.

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