What was the purpose of freedom rides?

Freedom Rides were organized to challenge segregation laws in interstate travel and public accommodations in the Southern United States, particularly those laws requiring racial segregation on buses and in bus terminals. These rides aimed to test the effectiveness of the recently enforced Civil Rights Act of 1960, which prohibited segregation in such facilities. By defying these laws and enduring the subsequent violence and arrests, the Freedom Riders sought to draw national attention to the ongoing racial discrimination and to build support for greater federal government intervention.