Arsenault wrote about the 1961 Freedom Rides in 2006. His work on the critical event in the Civil Rights Movement became the basis of the 2010 documentary, ''Freedom Riders''. He appeared on ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'' in an episode dedicated to ''Freedom Riders''. He has been awarded the Frank L. and Harriet C. Owsley Award of the Southern Historical Association and the 2006 PSP Award for Excellence Honorable Mention History & American Studies.