National Guardsmen in Montgomery, AL

Martial law is declared in Montgomery, Alabama on May 23, 1961. National Guardsman march in front of the First Baptist Church.

National Guard in Montgomery, AL

The National Guard are called to Montgomery, Alabama to maintain order after two days of rioting.

Montgomery First Baptist Church

The congregation of the Montgomery, Alabama First Baptist Church gathers to applaud the presence of the Freedom Riders.

Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. meets with Freedom Riders

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. attends a planning session with Freedom Riders in Montgomery, Alabama.

Freedom Riders arrive in Montgomery

Freedom Riders arrive in Montgomery, AL under guard of police and National Guard.

Jim Zwerg

Jim Zwerg is attacked and badly injured during a riot at the Greyhound bus station in Montgomery, Alabama.

A News Photographer is Attacked

Mob violence in Montgomery, Alabama begins with attacks on reporters and photographers. Freedom Riders and many others are also injured during the riot.

Lewis and Zwerg Attacked in Alabama

Two Freedom Riders, John Lewis (left) and Jim Zwerg, splattered with blood after being attacked and beaten in Montgomery, AL.

The Governor

John Patterson, Governor of Alabama from 1958 to 1963, won election as a staunch segregationist. Patterson discusses his response to the Freedom Rides and his decision to refuse a phone call from President John F. Kennedy when the Freedom Riders encountered mob violence in Birmingham.

The Exchange Student

After deciding to participate in the Freedom Rides in May 1961, Jim Zwerg called his parents for support only to be told that he was "killing his father." As a white Freedom Rider, Zwerg was among the first to be attacked and sustained severe injuries.