“Oh, my God, they’re going to burn us up!”

July 7, 2006 11:15 AM

Portraits of the Freedom Riders Eric Etheridge has been taking pictures of people who participated in the Freedom Rides (map) to accompany the people's 1961 mug shots. Some of the photos were in the July 2 issue of the New York Times Magazine, and there are more photos at his web site. Also, an excerpt from a recent book about the rides. [via]
posted by kirkaracha (4 comments total)

I wish there were more of the photos, but I guess I can get the book. The portraiture next to the mugshots is interesting as a kind of study of the two different kinds of portraiture. I'm not sure Etheridge's photos come out looking all that great in comparison...I mean, as art.
posted by OmieWise at 11:23 AM on July 7, 2006

Great stuff.

James Farmer, who played a key role in the Freedom Rides and in the civil rights movement, was a professor of mine at Mary Washington a few years back. His class on civil rights was by far one of the most important ones that I took.
posted by laze at 2:49 PM on July 7, 2006 [1 favorite]

Interesting. What astonishes me is the contrast between my personal reaction and what I know to be true in history. If any of those individuals were to address me, the first words from my lips would be "Ma'am" or "Sir." (In fact, Miss Jackson looks like a friend of my mom).
posted by Smedleyman at 10:56 PM on July 7, 2006

What an amazing group of people. I can't imagine having been involved with something so important and meaningful. And I love those "where are they now?" kinds of things.
posted by thekilgore at 11:42 AM on July 8, 2006