March: Book Two

Content Warning: This section of the guide mentions racism and graphic violence.

Boynton v. Virginia was a 1960 court case overturning the conviction of Bruce Boynton, a Black Howard University law student. Boynton was formerly sentenced to a trespassing charge for using a segregated bus terminal. Though this ruling ostensibly mandates the enforcement of integration in public transport facilities, in practice, integration was not upheld. In the memoir, the CORE leadership is inspired to organize the Freedom Rides to demonstrate the non-enforcement of Boynton v. Virginia in the South.

CORE is the civil rights group who organizes and implements the Freedom Rides. In the first half of 1961, Lewis sees their advertisement in a newspaper soliciting volunteers for the Freedom Rides and feels the “spirit of history at work” (30). Lewis applies to join the CORE for the Rides and is accepted. CORE is led by James Farmer, and during the timespan of this graphic novel they advocate for nonviolent resistance. They work closely with other organizations such as the SNCC and the SCLC.

The Freedom Rides are proposed by the CORE and supported by organizing efforts from other civil rights organizations, like the Nashville Student Movement, the SCLC, and the SNCC.