The significance of the freedom rides in the Civil Rights Movement lay in their role in challenging segregation in interstate bus travel across the South. Beginning in 1961, mixed groups of black and white civil rights activists rode buses into segregated areas to confront racial discrimination directly. The rides highlighted the deep-seated racism in the South and drew national attention to the struggle for civil rights, often resulting in violent confrontations. The freedom rides were pivotal in galvanizing public support for civil rights legislation and helped lead to the eventual desegregation of public facilities and more significant legislative protections for African Americans.