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CNN Saturday Morning News

Freedom Riders Mark 40th Anniversary

Aired May 12, 2001 - 08:18   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: A commemorative ride is taking place across the South this weekend. It marks the 40th anniversary of what is known as the Freedom Ride, when 13 civil rights advocates risked their lives on a bus trip to test a new desegregation law.

Representative John Lewis was one of the Freedom Riders. He's now a Congressman from the Atlanta area. He's back on the road reenacting that dangerous journey. He joins us now on the line. Congressman Lewis, good to have you with us. Are you there, sir? Congressman Lewis? Apparently we've lost him. He's on a cell phone. We apologize for that. We will try to raise him one more time and we will get him back a little bit later in our program.

I believe we have raised Congressman Lewis, who is reenacting the Freedom Ride which occurred 40 years ago, roughly. Congressman Lewis, can you hear me?

REP. JOHN LEWIS (D), GEORGIA: I can hear you.

O'BRIEN: Thanks for being with us on CNN SATURDAY MORNING, Congressman. Just tell us where you are right now and what's ahead today.

LEWIS: Well, we're moving down the highway, down I20 from Atlanta. We are moving toward the Alabama line. We still have a distance to go. But we're traveling from Georgia to Anniston, Alabama, where the Freedom Riders as a group traveled in 1961. In 1961 in Anniston, Alabama when the Greyhound bus arrived at the Greyhound bus station the tires was deflated and the bus was firebombed and the people were beaten.

We're going to leave...

O'BRIEN: Oh, goodness, I believe we have lost him one more time. I know you all understand. Anybody who's used a cell phone of late can attest to the vicissitudes of those devices. We will try to raise him again. Is he back with us? No, he isn't. We'll try to get him again and we'll try to get a little more comprehensive report of what his thoughts are on this, the 40th anniversary of the original Freedom Ride.

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