Montgomery Bus Boycott

The Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1954-55 was a non-violent protest which involved A
frican-American citizens refraining from using the Montgomery busline in Alabama
. What caused this were the Jim Crow laws, the segregation within the bus system
and Rosa Parks' arrest. As a result of the boycott, desegregation of public tra
nsport came into place, as well as the development of non-violent protest theory
, and the rise of Martin Luther King Jr.
The Jim Crow Laws were based on race and were put into place in the late 1800s a
nd early 1900s, after the Civil War. These laws included the segregation of Blac
ks and whites using seperate public places and services such as, schools, restro
oms and resturants. These laws were mainly in the Southern areas as these laws w
ere also heavily immersed within their society during that time. In Alabama, pas
senger stations had seperate waiting rooms and seperate ticket windows for the t
wo races. In Florida, white children and Black children were to be taught in se
perate schools. Segregation was also apparent within transportation - more speci
fically - the buses.
There were bus laws which segregated the ways Blacks and whites may use transpor
t. The mehtod of segregation on Montgomery buses was that Black people were to b
e seated at the back and white people at the front. Whites would fill rows start
ing from the front and the Blacks would fill from the back rows, and when the ro
ws met it would mean a full bus. If more Blacks were to board the bus, they were
required to stand. If a white person were to board, then the nearest to the fro
nt of the black row would have to stand, and make a whole new row for them. Afri
can-Americans were required to pay at the front and then exit the bus to reenter
through a seperate door at the back. Bus drivers would even drive away before A
frican-American passengers were able to reboard. At the time of the Bus Boycott,
National City Lines owned the Montgomery Bus Line.
Rosa Parks was a main cause for the Bus Boycott as her actions led to the main i
dea of a boycott in the first place. Rosa Parks boarded a bus on December the 1
st, 1955, after she had a long, tiring day at work. A white man entered the bus
and as the bus was quite full already, Parks refused to give her seat to the man
. As a result of this, the bus driver threatened to call the police, yet she sat
in her place regardless and was then arrested. Rose Parks was charged with brea
king a segregation law and was told to pay a fine of $10. However, she refused t
o pay and then appealed to a higher court. That night, many African-American lea
ders came together to boycott the city buses. A notable African-American leader
that went that night was Martin Luther King Jr.
As a result of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Martin Luther King Jr. rised as a not
able African-American leader. Born on January the 15th, 1929 in Atlanta, Ga. Mar
tin Luther King was a Civil Rights Activist and was previously a Baptist Preache
r. His first major civil rights action was the Montgomery Bus Boycott as he esse
ntially led the protest. The Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) was formed
four days after Rose Parks' arrest, and was composed of black ministers and com
munity leaders in Montgomery. Under the leadership of Marin Luther King, Jr. and
Edgar Nixon, this association was vital in conducting the boycott. Due to the s
uccess of the boycott, Martin Luther King catapulted into the national spotlight
.
Desegregation of public transport was the prime goal of the boycott and as an ou
tcome of the operation, this goal was reached. The method of successful boycotti
ng was to of course, stop using the Montgomery buses. In replace of boarding the
buses, other means of transport African-Americans used to travel to work and su
ch, was to walk, carpooling and taxis. Courtesy of the Montgomery Improvement As
sociation, they provided with another option of transportation by using a 'priva
te taxi company', a carpooling system that contributed to the boycott operation
greatly. The Bus Company attempted to sue the MIA for the loss of income because
only a minority of whites would board the buses.
The boycott was an oustanding success. The operation was only meant for one day
but lasted for eleven months due to its success. The Montgomery Bus Boycott prov
ed the development of non-violent protest theory to be positive and progressive.
The bus boycott affected both the Black Community and the Civil Rights Movement
greatly and positively as it strongly contributed to the equality many African-
Americans desired. This non-violent and passive protest was made possible by wor
king within the system and working together.
The Montgomery Bus Boycott was caused by the Jim Crow Laws and the segregation o
f buses, along with the arrest of Rosa Parks. Due to all this, the boycott resul
ted in Martin Luther King Jr.'s rise into national spotlight, the desegregation
of public transport and the positive affects within the Black community. The boy
cott - which was mainly to desegregate the Montgomery buses - raised awarness of
desegregation altogether.
By Mia Tawhiao - Lomas