Selected clips from Freedom Riders — a new documentary describing the experiences of 400 black and white Americans that rode buses into the deep South in defiance of Jim Crow laws in 1961—sets the stage for a community conversation about the civil rights movement, past, present and future, moderated by KCPT’s Nick Haines.

Freedom Riders features testimony from a fascinating cast of central characters: the Riders themselves, state and federal government officials, and journalists who witnessed the Rides firsthand. The film, part of the acclaimed American Experience series, makes its KCPT debut on May 16, 2011. The event complements the Freedom Riders exhibit on display in the Central Library. Co-sponsored by KCPT.