Matthew Walker Jr. stood in front of the Long Elementary School students, telling them about the time in 1961 when he risked his life in the name of equality.

"I was scared," Walker, 70, said. "I was just 19 years old, but I knew that this was something that had to be done."

He had joined the Freedom Riders, the famed group of 400 civil rights activists. He talked to the students Thursday during a Black History Month event.

Made up of black and white citizens, the Freedom Riders road buses into the segregated Southern states, deliberately sitting in bus terminal restaurants and waiting rooms. The Freedom Riders came from all over the United States. Some St. Louis residents joined, including a group from Saint Louis University. On July 8, 1961, they went to bus terminals in Little Rock, Ark.

The U.S. Supreme Court had ruled in a 1960 decision that bus terminals that served routes that crossed state lines could not be segregated. This ruling was widely ignored throughout the South. The Freedom Riders decided to force the issue.

Walker was in a group that went on May 24, 1961, to Jackson, Miss. He and others were arrested and imprisoned on grounds of "breaching the peace." They suffered brutal treatment in prison.

However, the Riders' tactics worked. In September 1961, the Interstate Commerce Commission bowed to public and political pressure and started to enforce the desegregation laws at bus terminals.

After meeting with the students, Walker talked about his experiences.

Question: What made you join the Freedom Riders?

Answer: It started in Nashville where I lived. In 1960, we had sit-ins that ended segregation in bus terminals. I joined the Freedom Riders after I heard that the founders were thinking of giving it up. They were worried about the violence that occurred (in 1961) when they went to Montgomery (Ala.). It had to continue, so I joined.

Q: Are you proud of what the group accomplished?

A: Yes, very proud. We helped get rid of segregation. It's something that had to be done and we did it.

Q: As a black man, you grew up with segregation. When the Freedom Riders traveled to Mississippi, were you prepared for violence?

A: We weren't naive. We knew we were in for some tough situations. I have nothing but a deep respect for anyone who volunteered.

Q: Did you ever understand the racist feelings against blacks?

A: No. Racism really baffled me. I never understood why these people were so angry. It didn't make sense. What did we do to you? Why do you hate us so much?

Q: Do you keep in touch with other Freedom Riders?

A: Yes. I'm the president of the Nashville Civil Rights Veterans Association. There are 14 people who were there during the sit-ins at Nashville. In a way, we're kind of like war veterans.

Q: A lot of people don't know that white people made up about half of the Freedom Riders. Did they get any special treatment down South.

A: Just the opposite. A lot of times, the white people and police singled them out. They beat them and called them traitors.

Q: Some people look at President Barack Obama's election as evidence that racism is no longer a factor in this country. Do you agree?

A: It was a good step forward, but there's still a lot to be done. We need to address the disparity of school achievements and incomes between blacks and whites.

Q: After the Freedom Riders, what did you do?

A: I've been a community organizer for a lot of organizations, including the AFL-CIO. I talk to groups about my experiences.

Q: What are your feelings about the people who opposed the Freedom Riders?

A: To be honest, I'm not sure how I feel about them. I don't waste energy hating these people. There were many instances of violence and there was never any attempt to enforce the law against the perpetrators. So many of them were not brought to justice.

Q: At least in this world.

A: That's right.