Reverse Freedom Rides — Mistakes Were Made

In politics and history, there really is nothing new under the sun. This especially holds true for the Republican party who loves to replay their greatest hits. Many don’t know that “Make America Great Again” was not some novel idea originated by the Trump campaign, it was first used as a campaign slogan for the 1980 Ronald Reagan Presidential campaign. Republicans have been using Black celebrities to endorse them since the Nixon administration.

Starting last year and going into this year, Republican Governors Ron DeSantis (Florida) and Greg Abbott (Texas) made headlines by sending Hispanic Immigrants to New York City, Chicago, Washington D.C. and various cities in California (Sacramento, Los Angeles). The point of these political stunts was to bring a spotlight to the current immigration polices and sanctuary cities. DeSantis and Abbott were essentially saying, “Hey you care so much about these people, take them, they are all yours.”

These stunts were new, drew tons of attention and criticisms. The thing is, this idea was not new. In the 1960s, America was awash in the Civil Rights Movement. One of the key tenants of the movement was the Freedom Riders. The Freedom Riders were a group of volunteers organized by the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and the Nashville Student Movement. The volunteers protested segregated public buses in the…