the 1947 Supreme Court ruling in Morgan V. Commonwealth of Virginia prohibited segregation on interstate buses. A 1960 ruling banned segregation in bus terminals that served interstate routes. In 1961 CORE's leader James Farmer announced nonviolent protests against violations of these court rulings. These protests became known as "Freedom Rides." These protests reached into the deep south, where violent resistance was certain. .
The first Freedom Riders left Washington, D.C. on May 4, 1961. Volunteers, both black and white, blatantly violated segregational rules while traveling through the south. One angry mob in Alabama set a bus on fire, and when arriving in Birmingham riders were beaten. When the CORE could not continue because of injuries, SNCC stepped in to help.
To maintain the protest, members of CORE, SNCC, and SCLC formed the Freedom Ride Coordinating Committee. Freedom Rides continued. with many participants arrested and jailed. However, the protests had the desired effect on the Kennedy Administration. At the request of Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, the Interstate Commerce Commission banned segregated interstate transportation facilities in an order issued in September 1961. This order committed the federal government to enforcing the 1947 and 1960 Supreme Court rulings.
The violence brought on by the Freedom Rides caught the attention of the national and international News Media. It brought about new support for the Civil Rights Movement in America and in the world. CORE received publicity which helped to increase its membership and financial contributions. The protests forced the federal government to acknowledge its responsibilities, and its involvement in the civil rights struggle increased. (Clarkin, 390).
The 1963 March on Washington movement was organized by Justin Bayard and Philip Randolph. Civil Rights organization involved included CORE and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).