James Leonard Farmer, Jr. fought alongside Martin Luther King Jr., Roy Wilkins and Whitney Young during the American Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Farmer initiated 1961's Freedom Ride, which saw 13 riders of different races ride buses through states with transportation segregation. Before becoming involved with Dr. King, Farmer enrolled at Wiley College at the age of 14 and was invited to the White House to speak with President Franklin Roosevelt at only 21 years old. In 1998, one year before his passing, President Bill Clinton presented Farmer with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, an award given to people who make major contributions to peace, culture and national interests of the United States.