02/20/2026
The Freedom Riders in Shreveport.
In 1961, in*******al groups of young activists known as the Freedom Riders challenged segregation on interstate buses throughout the American South. Although federal law had ruled segregation in interstate travel unconstitutional, many Southern cities continued to enforce whites-only waiting rooms, restrooms, and lunch counters.
Organized by the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and later joined by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), the Freedom Riders peacefully tested compliance with federal law. Their efforts were met in many communities with arrest, intimidation, and violence.
That same year, the movement reached Shreveport. In 1961, six young Freedom Riders entered the whites-only waiting room of the Trailways Bus Center in downtown Shreveport in an effort to desegregate the facility. Police were present and arrested the group for refusing to leave. Their actions here were part of the broader national struggle that ultimately compelled the federal government to enforce desegregation in interstate transportation. The fight for civil rights was not confined to larger cities—it happened here in Shreveport as well.
Those arrested included:
• Reverend Harold Bethune, 34, of 1740 Oakdale Street, fined $200 or 45 days in jail, with an additional three-month sentence.
• Reverend Harry Blake, 26, of 2834 Abbie Street, fined $200 or 45 days in jail if unpaid, along with a 30-day jail sentence.
• Levert H. Taylor, 20, of 4435 Illinois Street, a former Grambling student, fined $150 or 30 days in jail, plus an additional 30-day sentence.
• Sisters Deloris and Marie McGennie (ages 19 and 17) of 2801 West Jordan Street, fined $150 or 30 days in jail, with 15-day sentences suspended on condition of good behavior.
Their courage and commitment to nonviolent protest remind us that the Civil Rights Movement was shaped not only by national leaders, but also by local citizens willing to stand for equality under the law.
We invite you to learn more about Shreveport’s civil rights history through our virtual presentation, Two Days in September, from our previous post and to visit the museum to explore additional photographs, newspapers, and artifacts from this important period in our community’s history.
