Get On The Bus

In “Get On The Bus,” Washington depicts a group of Freedom Riders preparing for a ride through segregated Alabama.  The activists board the bus in front of a Baptist church, which symbolizes the Freedom Movement’s foundation on the principles and of the southern African American Church.  The steeple of the church is in the shape of a cross, and cuts against the ominous and turbulent skies, symbolizing the importance that religious faith played for these brave activists who risked their personal well-being for the sake of social change.