On the morning of May 4, 1961, a small gathering of civil rights activists boarded a bus in Washington, D.C., bound for New Orleans in the first Freedom Ride. That year hundreds of activists joined in, traveling to the Deep South in mixed-race groups to challenge local laws that enforced unconstitutional segregation in seating. These were the first steps in what became the American Civil Rights movement. As part of the Black History Month Film Festival at the Arlene Francis Center, the award-winning 2010 documentary Freedom Riders is screened as a benefit for the Police Accountability Clinic and Helpline. Thursday, Feb. 13, at the Arlene Francis Center. 99 Sixth St., Santa Rosa. 7pm. $5. 707.528.3009
