A white mob firebombs a Freedom Riders' bus outside Anniston, Alabama, and beats the riders as they flee.
At a Glance
- Date
- 14 May 1961
- Location
- Anniston, Alabama
- Key people
- John Lewis, James Peck
- Category
- Civil Rights Movement
- Source
- Contemporary press (1961) · Britannica
What It Meant Then
The attack exposed the violent resistance to integrating interstate travel.
What It Means Now
The images pressed the federal government to protect the riders.
Cite this page
- MLA
- “The Anniston Bus Firebombing.” Black-History.com, 30 Sept. 2026, https://black-history.com/on-this-day/the-anniston-bus-firebombing/.
- APA
- Black-History.com Editors. (2026, September 30). The Anniston Bus Firebombing. Black-History.com. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/the-anniston-bus-firebombing/
- Chicago
- Black-History.com Editors. “The Anniston Bus Firebombing.” Black-History.com. September 30, 2026. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/the-anniston-bus-firebombing/.
Editorial Note
By the Black-History.com editors. Last reviewed 30 September 2026. To suggest a primary source or a correction, write to editors@black-history.com or use our corrections form.