In honor of the recent passing of two of the original Freedom Riders, longtime Georgia Congressman JohnLewisand the Reverend C.T. Vivian, the PBS history series American Experience is streaming Stanley Nelsons documentary, Freedom Riders, on PBS.org and the PBS Video App.

Hundreds of marchers hold hands as they cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., on Sunday, ... [+] March 7, 2004. It is the 39th anniversary of the civil rights march across the bridge when state troopers used tear gas and billy clubs against activists marching. Front row from left: U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., U.S. Rep. Artur Davis, D-Ala., Rev. Jesse Jackson and Rev. C.T. Vivian. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

The winner of three Primetime Emmy Awards and first broadcast in 2011,Freedom Riders tells the powerful, harrowing and ultimately inspirational story of six months that transformed America. From May until November 1961, over 400 Black and white Americans risked their lives and many endured imprisonment and savage beatings by traveling together on buses and trains as they journeyed through the Deep South.

Deliberately violating Jim Crow laws in order to test and challenge a segregated interstate travel system, the Freedom Riders met with bitter racism and mob violence along the way, sorely testing their belief in nonviolent activism. The filmfeatures testimony from government officials, journalists who witnessed the rides firsthand, and the Riders themselves, includingLewisand Vivian, who recount their experiences.

During the making ofFreedom RidersI had the honor and the pleasure to get to know and interview JohnLewisand C. T. Vivian, said Nelson. They were true heroes who put their liveson the line to create positive change in the world. The lives of so many, including mine, were forever altered by their heroism. It is important for all of us in this moment to take up their legacy and push for real systemic change. May they rest In peace and power.

We are proud to make this powerful film by Stanley Nelson available for free streaming to the American public, said American Experienceacting executive producer Susan Bellows. As we mourn these two civil rights pioneers, we hope the story of their courage, determination and grace will continue to inspire us all.

A spokeswoman for the series said Freedom Riders would stream for three years and might also be rebroadcast on television at a later date.

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PBS Streams Award-Winning Freedom Riders Documentary To Honor Memory Of Rep. John Lewis And Rev. C. T. Vivian - Forbes