The Montgomery Bus The Montgomery Bus BoycottBoycott

English 12English 12

K. CurranK. Curran

December, 1955December, 1955

The story of the The story of the boycott is often boycott is often simplified…simplified…

Rosa Parks, a Rosa Parks, a weary seamstress, weary seamstress, refused to move to refused to move to the back of the bus the back of the bus and give her seat and give her seat to a white man.to a white man.

There is MORE to There is MORE to this story…this story…

Jo Ann RobinsonJo Ann Robinson

Women’s Political Women’s Political CouncilCouncil

ProfessorProfessor Had been removed Had been removed

from the front of an from the front of an empty bus in 1949empty bus in 1949

Began drumming Began drumming up support for a up support for a boycott of busses boycott of busses in Montgomeryin Montgomery

Claudette ColvinClaudette Colvin The NAACP looked The NAACP looked

for the perfect for the perfect person to test the person to test the segregation laws in segregation laws in AlabamaAlabama

When 15 year old When 15 year old Claudette Colvin Claudette Colvin was arrested for not was arrested for not giving up her seat, giving up her seat, they thought they they thought they had found the had found the perfect candidateperfect candidate

““Above Reproach”Above Reproach” When it was discovered When it was discovered

that Claudette Colvin that Claudette Colvin was pregnant (and was pregnant (and unwed), she was unwed), she was dropped as the test dropped as the test subjectsubject

ED Nixon of the NAACP ED Nixon of the NAACP explained “I had to be explained “I had to be sure I had somebody I sure I had somebody I could win with. Someone could win with. Someone “above reproach.”“above reproach.”

Enter Rosa ParksEnter Rosa Parks

A Simple Weary A Simple Weary Seamstress?Seamstress?

Rosa Parks was Rosa Parks was educated, active in educated, active in the NAACP, and a well-the NAACP, and a well-respected Civil Rights respected Civil Rights worker in worker in Montgomery, AlabamaMontgomery, Alabama

She was aware of She was aware of Claudette Colvin’s Claudette Colvin’s case, and knew that case, and knew that the black community the black community in Montgomery was in Montgomery was looking for a case to looking for a case to test segregation laws.test segregation laws.

Bus RulesBus Rules On busses in Montgomery, Alabama, there On busses in Montgomery, Alabama, there

was a section for white riders at the front, and was a section for white riders at the front, and a separate section for black riders at the back.a separate section for black riders at the back.

Rosa Parks sat in the first of the “black” rows Rosa Parks sat in the first of the “black” rows of seatsof seats

When the “white” seats filled, blacks had to When the “white” seats filled, blacks had to give up their own row and move farther back, give up their own row and move farther back, since blacks and whites could not occupy the since blacks and whites could not occupy the same row, legally. Parks was arrested for same row, legally. Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her designated “black” refusing to give up her designated “black” seat to a standing white patron.seat to a standing white patron.

BOYCOTT!BOYCOTT!

Jo Ann Robinson, Jo Ann Robinson, Reverend Martin Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and ED Luther King Jr. and ED Nixon of the NAACP Nixon of the NAACP formed the formed the Montgomery Montgomery Improvement Improvement Association (MIA) and Association (MIA) and began to spread the began to spread the word of a bus boycott word of a bus boycott to protest the arrest of to protest the arrest of Ms. Parks. Ms. Parks.

December, 1955December, 1955

Dr. King and the MIA met with the Dr. King and the MIA met with the bus company to try to orchestrate a bus company to try to orchestrate a desegregation plan, but were refuseddesegregation plan, but were refused

The city of Montgomery attempted to The city of Montgomery attempted to end the boycott by making it illegal end the boycott by making it illegal for taxis to charge less than 45 for taxis to charge less than 45 cents. This is because black-owned cents. This is because black-owned cab services had been charging the cab services had been charging the bus rate of 10 cents to boycotting bus rate of 10 cents to boycotting citizens.citizens.

Private TaxisPrivate Taxis

The MIA arranged for The MIA arranged for community members community members who owned cars to who owned cars to drive boycotting drive boycotting citizens to workcitizens to work

This system worked This system worked “with military “with military precision”, and precision”, and required a required a Transportation Transportation Committee to oversee Committee to oversee it.it.

Dirty TacticsDirty Tactics

The town of Montgomery tried to stop The town of Montgomery tried to stop the boycott in a number of ways, the boycott in a number of ways, including direct manipulation of the including direct manipulation of the media. Stories were printed in the local media. Stories were printed in the local papers suggesting that the boycott was papers suggesting that the boycott was over, and civil rights activists had to over, and civil rights activists had to race to every church, pub, and race to every church, pub, and gathering place in the community to gathering place in the community to ensure that citizens did not ride the bus.ensure that citizens did not ride the bus.

Dirty TacticsDirty Tactics

The town of Montgomery also invoked The town of Montgomery also invoked an ancient law prohibiting boycotts. an ancient law prohibiting boycotts. Under this law, Reverend King was Under this law, Reverend King was arrested, fined $1000, and threatened arrested, fined $1000, and threatened with incarceration. with incarceration.

None of the town’s attempts to end None of the town’s attempts to end the boycott workedthe boycott worked

The (white) business community in The (white) business community in Montgomery was becoming Montgomery was becoming concernedconcerned

The following is a series of cartoons by Laura Gray The following is a series of cartoons by Laura Gray that appeared in that appeared in The MilitantThe Militant, a civil rights , a civil rights

publication in Alabama, in 1956:publication in Alabama, in 1956:

Court BattleCourt Battle Brown vs. the Board of Brown vs. the Board of

Education decision Education decision supported supported desegregationdesegregation

Faced with the concern Faced with the concern that desegregation that desegregation would lead to violence, would lead to violence, the judge stated “Is it the judge stated “Is it fair to ask one man to fair to ask one man to surrender his surrender his constitutional rights… in constitutional rights… in order to prevent order to prevent another man from another man from committing a crime?”committing a crime?”

A Legal VictoryA Legal Victory On November 13On November 13thth, ,

1956, the US Supreme 1956, the US Supreme Court determined that Court determined that segregation on busses segregation on busses was unconstitutional.was unconstitutional.

After a full year of After a full year of walking to work, walking to work, Mother Pollard, a Mother Pollard, a community member, community member, was quoted as saying was quoted as saying “my feets is weary, “my feets is weary, but my soul is rested.”but my soul is rested.”

ViolenceViolence On December 21On December 21stst, 1956, , 1956,

Montgomery blacks Montgomery blacks ended the bus boycottended the bus boycott

This action was met with This action was met with violence, including violence, including snipers shooting at snipers shooting at busses and a series of busses and a series of bombings of the homes bombings of the homes and offices of civil rights and offices of civil rights workers. Five men were workers. Five men were arrested, two confessed, arrested, two confessed, and and none none were were convicted of these convicted of these crimescrimes

The KKKThe KKK

The KKK also tried to The KKK also tried to intimidate the civil intimidate the civil rights activists of rights activists of MontgomeryMontgomery

Reverend King Reverend King suggested that their suggested that their scare tactics seemed scare tactics seemed to have lost their spell. to have lost their spell. “One cold night a small “One cold night a small negro boy was seen negro boy was seen warming his hands at a warming his hands at a burning cross.”burning cross.”

LegacyLegacy

The violence in Montgomery eventually died The violence in Montgomery eventually died down, and busses became fully desegregateddown, and busses became fully desegregated

Rosa Parks’ ‘simple act’ of civil disobedience Rosa Parks’ ‘simple act’ of civil disobedience began a year-long boycott that saw a began a year-long boycott that saw a community work together to fight for rightscommunity work together to fight for rights

This helped to launch the struggle for freedom This helped to launch the struggle for freedom and justice known as the civil rights movementand justice known as the civil rights movement

And the bus…?And the bus…? The bus was de-The bus was de-

commissioned in the late commissioned in the late 1950s, and the company 1950s, and the company attempted to sell it for attempted to sell it for scrapscrap

The African American The African American community rallied to have community rallied to have it kept as a monument to it kept as a monument to the Civil Rights Movementthe Civil Rights Movement

The Henry Ford Museum in The Henry Ford Museum in Detroit bid $427,919 at an Detroit bid $427,919 at an auction in 2001, beating auction in 2001, beating out the city of Denver, out the city of Denver, Colorado and the Colorado and the Smithsonian Institution. Smithsonian Institution.

Web Resources Gratefully Web Resources Gratefully Cited:Cited:

http://www.montgomeryboycott.com/photos/rParksArrest.jpghttp://www.montgomeryboycott.com/photos/rParksArrest.jpg http://www.cnn.com/US/9512/bus_boycott/parks_on_bus.jpghttp://www.cnn.com/US/9512/bus_boycott/parks_on_bus.jpg www.holtlaborlibrary.org/images/BusBoycottSegregationwww.holtlaborlibrary.org/images/BusBoycottSegregation www.africanaonline.com/Graphic/mlk_montgomery.jpgwww.africanaonline.com/Graphic/mlk_montgomery.jpg www.bbc.co.uk/.../timeline_bus_s2_carpool.jpgwww.bbc.co.uk/.../timeline_bus_s2_carpool.jpg minorjive.typepad.comminorjive.typepad.com/...//.../index.htmlindex.html www.sites.si.edu/.../381/new/pages/parks_jpg.htmwww.sites.si.edu/.../381/new/pages/parks_jpg.htm www.blackvoices.comwww.blackvoices.com/...//.../montgomery_bus_boycottmontgomery_bus_boycott asp.usatoday.com/.../utils/idmap/13249117.storyasp.usatoday.com/.../utils/idmap/13249117.story www.writespirit.net/inspirational_talks/political/www.writespirit.net/inspirational_talks/political/

martin_luther_king_talks/martin-luther-king2.jpgmartin_luther_king_talks/martin-luther-king2.jpg http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/remember/parks/images/e-d-http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/remember/parks/images/e-d-

nixon_parks_sub.jpg nixon_parks_sub.jpg http://www.crmvet.org/crmpics/band/robinsonjoann.jpghttp://www.crmvet.org/crmpics/band/robinsonjoann.jpg http://www.montgomeryboycott.com/img/biophotos/bio_colvin2.jpghttp://www.montgomeryboycott.com/img/biophotos/bio_colvin2.jpg