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Charles Perkins among with Gary Williams were both inspired to organised the freedom riders in 1965 because they wanted to find a way to broadcast the Aboriginal cause. Perkins made sure the Freedom riders were the beginning of change for indigenous Australians as himself and the freedom riders invited the media to follow along their journey to create an eye opener to everyone about the discrimination towards the Aboriginal Australians.

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Charles Perkins was inspired by the civil rights movement in America in 1961 and therefore organised The Freedom Rides to rural New South Wales towns, particularly planning his route with the SAFA. His plan, with the help of the media, was to represent and expose the   injustices of the Aboriginal people, and knew that it would cause an uproar with the Australian public. Charles Perkins, being Aboriginal himself, knew the lack of equality and wanted to stand up for his peoples rights and ensure that the Freedom Rides would permanently change the views of the nation and the equality among Indigenous Australians.  His role pushed him to a position an Aboriginal activist and helped promote further change.

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Charles Perkins felt deeply about making a change to the racism in Australia, as he himself was an Aboriginal man. He was also inspired because he saw racism happening not only in Australia, but also in America (however towards African Americans) and was motivated to try make a change to the Australian issue. He took journalists with him to keep the media updated on his journey with his 29 other supporters, to ensure everyone knew what he was doing. By doing this, he was also able to gain support in the different places he visited across NSW to make his movement more effective and to bring more attention to the issue.

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In February 1965 a group of University of Sydney students organised a bus tour of western and coastal New South Wales towns. Their purpose was threefold. The students planned to draw public attention to the poor state of Aboriginal health, education and housing. They hoped to point out and help to lessen the socially discriminatory barriers which existed between Aboriginal and white residents. Charles Perkins, an Arrente man born in Alice Springs, who was a third-year arts student at the university, was elected president of SAFA. Charles ensured that the bus ride would be the early stages of change, in his persistence and determination to not allow aborigines to be treated as a second class.

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By the time Charles Perkins graduated from university he was already a strong campaigner for Aboriginal rights.Inspired by a similar movement in America he organised the freedom ride of 1965.Along with 30 other white university students Charles invited new reporters to capture the trip. The trip was originally meant to be meant to be a study tour but on the tour they uncovered that in many of the stops many of them were threatened and there were high levels of racism towards Aboriginals, but all the action towards them attracted major publicity nationally and internationally forcing all Australians to be aware of the issue and causing them to make a change.

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As the United States experienced their Freedom Rides in 1961, Australia was shocked by the prejudice of white Americans towards African Americans. Ironically, this same racism existed in their own country, inspiring Charles Perkins to create a civil rights movement for Aborigines in Australia. He ensured that the Australian Freedom Rides were the beginning of a political movement for Aborigines by taking journalists and reporters with them on the journey. The media ensured the racism was exposed publicly forcing the Australian Government to confront the issue, thus beginning change for indigenous Australians. He also planned the route of the journey to expose specific racism issues regarding children and ex-servicemen which would disgust and shock the nation and world.

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As Charles Perkins was the first Aboriginal man to graduate from university in 1965, he had the opportunity to better represent the Aboriginal peoples and take a stand for the injustices and inequality. He was deeply inspired and motivated by the works of civil rights activists in America, and hence organised the Freedom Ride to rural NSW towns, accompanied by 30 fellow university students. The title of their activist group was Student Action for aborigines (SAFA), as to bring attention to the youth voicing against mistreatment of Aboriginal people. As news journalists were present on the bus, Perkins was able to ensure their discoveries would have national recognition and bring awareness to the terrible treatment of Aboriginal people and the disrespect of their culture and traditions. By the Freedom Riders unearthing the differing situations in each of the towns, they were able to confront 'white' Australians on their beliefs.
By the Freedom Riders fighting against Aboriginal veterans in Walgett being denied access in the RS club, they brought attention to the way Australian society was not accepting of Aboriginal people as being a major contributor to the country's history and culture. This atrocious treatment showed absolutely no respect to those who served Australian in war.

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Charles Perkins was a man of his time and stood up for what he wanted to achieve. Perkins wanted to achieve equality for all Indigenous Australians, and end the pain of racism. It is seen that Perkins was inspired to create the Freedom rides by the on going Civil rights movement in America which took place throughout the 1960's. Charles Perkins wanted to make a stand for equality and wanted to insure that the Freedom rides were a change for the better beginning. When creating these rides Perkins was his in 3rd year of University, one year off of being the first Aboriginal man to graduate University. While at the University of Sydney, he felt a strong need to finally close the equality gap and to make a difference to the treatment and well being of aboriginals. Perkins ran with his strong mind set and began a group of young, like minded students to explore this issue with him.

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Charles was in his 3 year of University when the freedom rides took place and was elected president of the SAFA. Charles and the students planed to draw the public's attention to the poor state of Aboriginal health, education and housing. They also wished to encourage and support Aboriginal people themselves to resist discrimination.

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Charles Perkins was inspired to create the Freedom Rides by the civil rights movement in America. In the United States the American freedom riders left in 1961 just four years before the Australian freedom riders (1965). Charles Perkins insured that it was the beginning of change for Indigenous Australians as he made sure it was covered by the media and that the journey they took covered the major discriminating communities in order for change to begin. From doing this the rest of Australia was shown the horrific treatment that other white Australians were treating them and wanted to make a change.

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During the decade of the 1960's the aboriginals were facing extreme discrimination in both rural and urban communities. At this time, Charles Perkins was in his third year at a studious university in Sydney and felt very passionate about closing the gap regarding the lack of rights the indigenous community experiencing. From here, Charles took it upon himself to start a group with like minded people that shared the same views and opinions, leading them on a journey to expose the injustices that aboriginals all over NSW were being subjected to.

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Charles was one of the many aboriginal activists who wanted change and equal treatment for those of aboriginal background. The ongoing mistreatment of his people and the various injustices he saw and experienced was enough to cause him to conduct the freedom ride along side another 'keen' friend of his from university, Gary Williams.

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After the continual harsh treatment that Indigenous Aboriginals many felt the need to make a change but only one put his words into actions - Charles Perkins. Charles was the leader of the SAFA and planned the field trip to Western New South Wales towns so students could see the conditions of life for Indigenous Aboriginals for themselves. Charles ensured that the Freedom Rides were the beginning of change by discussing the issue at a popular place, in the town of Moore. This was where Aboriginals were not allowed to swim in the public pool. Charles made sure that the addressed the issue while the camera was rolling and he was being filmed on the news. Over 100 white Australians showed up to dismiss this event, this was when Charles knew that he had done hi job and made the rest of the wider society aware of this unforgivable treatment towards Indigenous Aboriginals.

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Charles Perkins was inspired to organise  the Freedom Ride for Aboriginals from the events which were occurring in the United States at the same time. In the United States, they had Freedom Riders to help with racism which black Americans endured. Furthermore, they were influenced to take action, as the treatment of aboriginals was so horrendous. Being the first Aboriginal man to graduate from university in 1965, he understood he had an opportunity to help represent aboriginals in a better light. Additionally, as he was aboriginal himself he had a better understanding of racism, living conditions, health and education standards which they had to live with.

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What inspired Charles Perkins to organise the bus ride in 1965? What evidence do you have to support this? How did Perkins ensure that the Freedom Rides were the beginning of change for indigenous Australians?

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What inspired Charles Perkins to organise the bus ride in 1965? What evidence do you have to support this? How did Perkins ensure that the Freedom Rides were the beginning of change for indigenous Australians?