Skip to main content
Back to Show
American Experience

From the film Freedom Riders: Freedom to Travel, part 3

On September 22, 1961, the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) orders all "colored only" and "whites only" signs to be taken down in all bus and rail stations across the country. "This was the first unambiguous victory in the long history of the civil rights movement," says Ray Arsenault. "It raised expectations across the board for greater victories in the future."

Support Provided By
Season
Fly with Me
1:52:39
The lively but neglected history of the women who changed the world while flying it.
Nazi Town, USA
52:51
The story of the German American Bund, a pro-Nazi group active across the US in the 1930s.
The War on Disco
Unlock with PBS Passport
51:46
Explore the culture war that erupted over the spectacular rise of disco music.
The Harvest: Integrating Mississippi's Schools
1:47:20
The story of a Mississippi town’s effort to integrate its public schools in 1970.
The Busing Battleground
1:52:38
Revisit 1970s Boston, when court-mandated school integration unleashed racial unrest.
Casa Susanna
1:36:51
Casa Susanna was a refuge for transgender women and cross-dressing men in the 1950s-60s.
The Sun Queen
52:22
Unsung scientist Mária Telkes dedicated her career to harnessing the power of the sun.
The Movement and the "Madman"
Unlock with PBS Passport
1:22:39
Discover the story of the 1969 showdown between President Nixon and the antiwar movement.
Ruthless: Monopoly's Secret History
Unlock with PBS Passport
52:36
Discover the unexpected history behind Monopoly, America’s favorite board game.
Women in American History
1:52:24
The influential author and anthropologist whose work reclaimed and honored Black life.
The Lie Detector
52:45
The story of the polygraph, the controversial device that transformed modern justice.
The Blinding of Isaac Woodard, Spanish
1:52:49
The Blinding of Isaac Woodard with Spanish subtitles.
Active loading indicator