Freedom Riders

From middle and high school on, we have always been taught about freedom, liberty, justice for all. We have been taught about the civil rights starting back in the 1920's, but I am guitly of not fully understand and connecting with the people had to go through those struggles.
Freedom Rider's was an amazing, overwhelming, but courageous video that discussed all about the struggles these people faced to try to make a difference for our world. They did succeed of course, but it's sad that the ones that fought for this, didn't make it through the end to see the accomplishment they made. 
I am a history concentration so this to me very very interesting, and what made it better was me being able to feel and connect with Freedom Riders. Now I will never be able to feel the emotions that these people were feeling during that time, but to actually see what they were going through like being beaten to death by a white mob or being thrown in jail for no reason. I will never be able to understand the way they felt, but my feelings were embarrassed, sad and shocked were my emotions when watching this documentary.
I am going to some day have to teach my students about this subject, and it's challenging when they are younger, because they really can't see what was really happening, and lecturing about it, does not give you the same emotional connection as it would when watching it. Going into to teaching and knowing that many international students might not have even realized this was going on or even other students won't be aware of this, its shocking, but I have to think back and understand that I was not around during that time, and teachers had to teach me about this content.
Over all, I felt this documentary was a good eye opener for myself and I'm sure for the people around me. This really did happen and to actually see and here from the survivors of the Freedom Riders, made it that much more emtional and made me feel connected.