What Is The Montgomery Bus Boycott?
In the recent news, we have heard about strikes and people deciding if they are going to cross the picket lines to go to work. The strike is usually an employment related action as the employees are involved in a dispute with their employers over their wages or their benefits packages. Maybe you have even heard someone say that they are going to boycott a store because they are unhappy with the actions of said location. The definition of boycott is to stop using the goods or services of a company, country, etc. until changes are made. When I think of boycotts one comes to mind without much thought, The Montgomery Bus Boycott. Many of us don’t recognize this historical boycott by its name. It isn’t until we hear the name, Rosa Parks, that we
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remember learning about the boycott in our history classes. For many of us, that happens as early as kindergarten during Black History Month. First, let’s learn about Rosa Parks. Rosa Parks was born on February 4, 1913 in Tuskegee, Alabama. Growing up, Rosa experienced racial discrimination. Her parents separated when she was young which meant her mom had to move their family to Pine Level, Alabama to live with Rosa’s grandparents. Both of Rosa’s grandparents had been slaves. They knew what it felt like to be discriminated against which made them string advocates for racial equality. Rosa’s grandpa, Sylvester Edwards, was brave enough to stand in front of their house holding a shotgun while Ku Klux Klan members walked down the street. Rosa’s mother taught her to read when she at a young age. She then went to a one room school where she was segregated. Their segregated room was known for being inadequate. Many times they didn’t have the items that we take for granted in school, including desks. All of the African American students, 1st though 6th grade, were required to walk to school while the American students had the luxury of taking the bus to a brand new school building. Rosa continued to attend segregated schools in Montgomery, Alabama. When she was 11 years old she began attending the Industrial School for Girls. She was in the 11th grade when she had to stop going to school so that she could take care of her sick grandma and mom. Rosa never went back to school. She chose to get a job at a shirt factory.
Rosa met and married Raymond Parks, a barber an active member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), at the age of 19.
In 1933 Rosa earned her high school degree. Both Rosa and Raymond were involved with civil rights causes for African Americans. They believed that everyone deserved the same rights. Rosa joined the Montgomery chapter of the NAACP in 1943.
Rosa used the public transportation, as did most in 1955. It was very well known that the “colored” passengers were supposed to sit in the very back of the bus, if there was room for them at all. This was part of the city bus ordinance. The Montgomery bus drivers took it upon themselves to make the colored passengers give up their seat to white passengers if there was no other room for them to sit. The bus driver was able to refuse service to the colored passenger and have the police remove them from the …show more content…
bus.
Rosa began working at a department store in Montgomery as a seamstress. On December 1, 1955 she boarded the Cleveland Avenue bus to go home after a long day at work. She sat in one of the first rows that were designated for colored passengers. As the bus continued on its route it began to fill. Passengers were standing in the aisles. The bus driver looked towards the back of the bus and realized that white passengers were the ones standing while the colored passengers. The bus driver stopped the bus. He went to the row that had the sign indicating where the colored people could sit at and moved it back a row. He asked the passengers in the row, including Rosa, to move so that the white passengers could sit. Three of the four did as they were asked. Can you guess which one didn’t? That’s right…Rosa Parks. She didn’t feel she should have to stand up. She had had a long day at work just like the other passengers. The driver continued to demand that she stand up to which she replied, “I don’t think I should have to stand up.” The driver had reached his limit with her. He exercised his right to call the police and have her arrested. The police removed her from the bus and charged her with a violation of the Montgomery City Code, Chapter 6, Section 11. She was taken to police headquarters and later released on bail. Her trial was set for December 5, 1955. Rosa was met by a large crowd at the court house, close to 500 supporters, all cheering her on. She went inside with her attorney to attend her trial. They found her guilty of violating a local ordinance. She was fined $10 for her violation and $4 for her court fee. News spread quickly of Rosa Parks arrest. E. D. Nixon, the head of the local chapter of the NAACP, began planning a boycott of the Montgomery city buses on the day of Rosa’s trial. They placed ads in newspapers. They printed flyers and passed them out in black neighborhoods. They encouraged everyone to stay home from work or school, take a cab or walk to work. The city buses were almost empty. Some chose to carpool or ride in African American operated cabs. Most of the commuters chose to walk to work with some having to travel close to 20 miles. This was only the beginning of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. On December 5, 1955, black leaders in the community met and formed the Montgomery Improvement Association. They elected Martin Luther King Jr. as the president and agreed to continue the boycott until the city met their demands. The Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) did not feel that their demands were too difficult to satisfy. Their main demand was courtesy. They also wanted the city to hire black drivers as well as having the seating policy changed to a first come, first seated policy. They were willing to continue the whites entering from the front and blacks entering from the back. However there was a group of five Montgomery women and their attorney, Mr. Fred Gray, along with the NAACP that sued the city in U.S. District Court. They wanted the busing segregation laws invalidated. The city did not realize the power of the African American community.
African Americans were close to 75 percent of the Montgomery bus riders. The city continued to resist complying with the MIA’s demands. The black leaders worked together to organize carpools. The rate to ride the bus was 10 cents for African American riders. The African American taxi drivers honored the same rate to make sure that the riders could continue to afford the boycott. Many of the African Americans opted out of all forms of motorized transportation and walked to work and other places they needed to go. The black leaders continued to organize regular meetings, keeping the fellow African Americans up to date and mobilized around the
boycott. On June 5, 1956, a Montgomery federal court issued a ruling regarding the segregated seating on buses. They determined that any law that required racially segregated seating on a bus was a violation of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The 14th Amendment, which was adopted in 1868, states that “No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” This guarantees all citizens, regardless of race, equal rights and equal protection under state and federal laws. The city of Montgomery disagreed with this decision and filed an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court. On December 20, 1956 the U.S. Supreme Court issued their ruling, which upheld the lower courts decision. The boycott finally ended on December 21, 1956 when the Montgomery buses were integrated. The boycott has lasted 381 days. Did you really think that it ended that easily? Of course it didn’t. The people of Montgomery continued to resist the integration. Some chose to become violent. The Montgomery city buses were integrated however they continued to maintain segregated bus stops. Snipers began shooting into the buses. A pregnant African American had both of her legs shattered. In January 1957 the Montgomery police department arrested seven bombers. They were charged with bombing four African American churches as well as homes of some prominent black leaders. It was no surprise that all seven were members of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). Fortunately, the arrests made people realize that the city meant business. The Supreme Court had issued its ruling and they were going to abide by the rules. After the arrests, the busing related violence came to an end. As a child growing up in school we learn about the boycott very briefly while we learn about Rosa Parks, and more importantly, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Montgomery Bus Boycott is known as one of the earliest mass protests on behalf of civil rights in the United States. Without Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat, and ultimately being arrested and then going to trial, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. may not have had the opportunity to be the influential leader he turned out to be. The Montgomery Bus Boycott became the stage for additional large scale actions for fair treatment for African Americans. Not long after the boycott ended, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) was an extremely influential civil rights organization whose main function was to end segregation in the South. In the spring of 1963, the SCLC was one of the key promoters of the civil rights campaign in Birmingham, Alabama and led the March on Washington on August of 1963. This is the same year that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous speech, “I Have a Dream”. We all have a dream. Many of us want something that seems just a little too far from our reach. Maybe it is at our fingertips and we need to stretch just a little bit farther to get there. For others, our dream feels like we need to move mountains to get there. For all of us we need to remember that it doesn’t have to be our dream. What if Rosa Parks had not decided that she was tired of being treated as lesser of a person because of her skin color? What if Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had not stepped up to lead the MIA? Where would we be today? Would we still have segregation? Would some of our best friends still be slaves? Now is our time! We can be the modern day Rosa Parks. We can stand up for what is right. We need to remember, we don’t have to be violent. We can work together just as the NAACP, MIA and SCLC did. Stand strong and united!
remember learning about the boycott in our history classes. For many of us, that happens as early as kindergarten during Black History Month. First, let’s learn about Rosa Parks. Rosa Parks was born on February 4, 1913 in Tuskegee, Alabama. Growing up, Rosa experienced racial discrimination. Her parents separated when she was young which meant her mom had to move their family to Pine Level, Alabama to live with Rosa’s grandparents. Both of Rosa’s grandparents had been slaves. They knew what it felt like to be discriminated against which made them string advocates for racial equality. Rosa’s grandpa, Sylvester Edwards, was brave enough to stand in front of their house holding a shotgun while Ku Klux Klan members walked down the street. Rosa’s mother taught her to read when she at a young age. She then went to a one room school where she was segregated. Their segregated room was known for being inadequate. Many times they didn’t have the items that we take for granted in school, including desks. All of the African American students, 1st though 6th grade, were required to walk to school while the American students had the luxury of taking the bus to a brand new school building. Rosa continued to attend segregated schools in Montgomery, Alabama. When she was 11 years old she began attending the Industrial School for Girls. She was in the 11th grade when she had to stop going to school so that she could take care of her sick grandma and mom. Rosa never went back to school. She chose to get a job at a shirt factory.
Rosa met and married Raymond Parks, a barber an active member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), at the age of 19.
In 1933 Rosa earned her high school degree. Both Rosa and Raymond were involved with civil rights causes for African Americans. They believed that everyone deserved the same rights. Rosa joined the Montgomery chapter of the NAACP in 1943.
Rosa used the public transportation, as did most in 1955. It was very well known that the “colored” passengers were supposed to sit in the very back of the bus, if there was room for them at all. This was part of the city bus ordinance. The Montgomery bus drivers took it upon themselves to make the colored passengers give up their seat to white passengers if there was no other room for them to sit. The bus driver was able to refuse service to the colored passenger and have the police remove them from the …show more content…
bus.
Rosa began working at a department store in Montgomery as a seamstress. On December 1, 1955 she boarded the Cleveland Avenue bus to go home after a long day at work. She sat in one of the first rows that were designated for colored passengers. As the bus continued on its route it began to fill. Passengers were standing in the aisles. The bus driver looked towards the back of the bus and realized that white passengers were the ones standing while the colored passengers. The bus driver stopped the bus. He went to the row that had the sign indicating where the colored people could sit at and moved it back a row. He asked the passengers in the row, including Rosa, to move so that the white passengers could sit. Three of the four did as they were asked. Can you guess which one didn’t? That’s right…Rosa Parks. She didn’t feel she should have to stand up. She had had a long day at work just like the other passengers. The driver continued to demand that she stand up to which she replied, “I don’t think I should have to stand up.” The driver had reached his limit with her. He exercised his right to call the police and have her arrested. The police removed her from the bus and charged her with a violation of the Montgomery City Code, Chapter 6, Section 11. She was taken to police headquarters and later released on bail. Her trial was set for December 5, 1955. Rosa was met by a large crowd at the court house, close to 500 supporters, all cheering her on. She went inside with her attorney to attend her trial. They found her guilty of violating a local ordinance. She was fined $10 for her violation and $4 for her court fee. News spread quickly of Rosa Parks arrest. E. D. Nixon, the head of the local chapter of the NAACP, began planning a boycott of the Montgomery city buses on the day of Rosa’s trial. They placed ads in newspapers. They printed flyers and passed them out in black neighborhoods. They encouraged everyone to stay home from work or school, take a cab or walk to work. The city buses were almost empty. Some chose to carpool or ride in African American operated cabs. Most of the commuters chose to walk to work with some having to travel close to 20 miles. This was only the beginning of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. On December 5, 1955, black leaders in the community met and formed the Montgomery Improvement Association. They elected Martin Luther King Jr. as the president and agreed to continue the boycott until the city met their demands. The Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) did not feel that their demands were too difficult to satisfy. Their main demand was courtesy. They also wanted the city to hire black drivers as well as having the seating policy changed to a first come, first seated policy. They were willing to continue the whites entering from the front and blacks entering from the back. However there was a group of five Montgomery women and their attorney, Mr. Fred Gray, along with the NAACP that sued the city in U.S. District Court. They wanted the busing segregation laws invalidated. The city did not realize the power of the African American community.
African Americans were close to 75 percent of the Montgomery bus riders. The city continued to resist complying with the MIA’s demands. The black leaders worked together to organize carpools. The rate to ride the bus was 10 cents for African American riders. The African American taxi drivers honored the same rate to make sure that the riders could continue to afford the boycott. Many of the African Americans opted out of all forms of motorized transportation and walked to work and other places they needed to go. The black leaders continued to organize regular meetings, keeping the fellow African Americans up to date and mobilized around the
boycott. On June 5, 1956, a Montgomery federal court issued a ruling regarding the segregated seating on buses. They determined that any law that required racially segregated seating on a bus was a violation of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The 14th Amendment, which was adopted in 1868, states that “No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” This guarantees all citizens, regardless of race, equal rights and equal protection under state and federal laws. The city of Montgomery disagreed with this decision and filed an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court. On December 20, 1956 the U.S. Supreme Court issued their ruling, which upheld the lower courts decision. The boycott finally ended on December 21, 1956 when the Montgomery buses were integrated. The boycott has lasted 381 days. Did you really think that it ended that easily? Of course it didn’t. The people of Montgomery continued to resist the integration. Some chose to become violent. The Montgomery city buses were integrated however they continued to maintain segregated bus stops. Snipers began shooting into the buses. A pregnant African American had both of her legs shattered. In January 1957 the Montgomery police department arrested seven bombers. They were charged with bombing four African American churches as well as homes of some prominent black leaders. It was no surprise that all seven were members of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). Fortunately, the arrests made people realize that the city meant business. The Supreme Court had issued its ruling and they were going to abide by the rules. After the arrests, the busing related violence came to an end. As a child growing up in school we learn about the boycott very briefly while we learn about Rosa Parks, and more importantly, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Montgomery Bus Boycott is known as one of the earliest mass protests on behalf of civil rights in the United States. Without Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat, and ultimately being arrested and then going to trial, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. may not have had the opportunity to be the influential leader he turned out to be. The Montgomery Bus Boycott became the stage for additional large scale actions for fair treatment for African Americans. Not long after the boycott ended, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) was an extremely influential civil rights organization whose main function was to end segregation in the South. In the spring of 1963, the SCLC was one of the key promoters of the civil rights campaign in Birmingham, Alabama and led the March on Washington on August of 1963. This is the same year that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous speech, “I Have a Dream”. We all have a dream. Many of us want something that seems just a little too far from our reach. Maybe it is at our fingertips and we need to stretch just a little bit farther to get there. For others, our dream feels like we need to move mountains to get there. For all of us we need to remember that it doesn’t have to be our dream. What if Rosa Parks had not decided that she was tired of being treated as lesser of a person because of her skin color? What if Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had not stepped up to lead the MIA? Where would we be today? Would we still have segregation? Would some of our best friends still be slaves? Now is our time! We can be the modern day Rosa Parks. We can stand up for what is right. We need to remember, we don’t have to be violent. We can work together just as the NAACP, MIA and SCLC did. Stand strong and united!