In a movement called the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a woman named Rosa Parks sat at the front of a public bus. When Rosa refused to give her seat up to a white person, she was arrested. The community planned a bus boycott to take place on the fifth of December. Instead of the expected 60% turnout, almost 90% of the community boycotted the buses. Soon, national news was talking about the movement.
The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a very influential protest against the racial issues in North America. The boycott was lead by many significant leaders such as Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr, these people helped the black community unify to fight against discrimination and prejudice. The Montgomery Bus Boycott was successful because the white community realized that the black community was unifying. For example, the black people were very resourceful in finding ways not to use the public buses. According to Document C, “ On December 6, the police began to harass, intimidate, and arrest Negro taxi drivers who were helping these people to work.
On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her spot on a Montgomery bus to a white person. This led to the boycott of the Montgomery bus system. While she was boycotting, she had in mind the lynching of Emmett Till. Rosa Parks wrote " the news of Emmett's death caused me...to participate in the cry for justice and equal rights" (“Emmett Till Murder Trial”). Emmett Till, an African American boy, sparked the Montgomery boycott, in the memory of Rosa Parks.
They couldn’t hang [anything] like that on Rosa Parks’” (166). Rosa Parks was made famous by this act of bravery and this would lead the civil rights movement further than it had ever been before. This courageous stand would lead to the Montgomery bus boycott, which would cripple the transportation system while teaching it a powerful lesson: the world cannot run correctly without the participation and, most importantly, the equal inclusion of the African-American people of America. Furthermore, Parks did more than just defy public opinion and discrimination, she actively fought against it. In 1943 Parks joined the NAACP as an investigator into
[1] The first and perhaps the most important event that gave legitimacy to the civil rights movement in the United States occurred in December of 1955. This event, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, was a protest against the policy of mandated racial segregation on the public transit system of Montgomery, Alabama. This boycott lasted from December 1, 1955, when Rosa Parks refused to give up her set to a white passenger, until December 20, 1956 when a Supreme Court Ruling, Browder v. Gayle, took effect and outlawed segregation on public transportation. This Supreme Court ruling marked the first of many successes of the Civil Rights Movement. However, there was still much work to be done not only in the Black Belt region of Alabama, but nationwide.
It was in Montgomery, Alabama, that Rosa Parks was arrested for not offering her seat the bus to a white passenger. Immediately following the arrest, Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. initiated a protest of transportation services on December 1st, 1955, in retaliation for injustice against racial minorities. Rather than using public transportation, African Americans walked or received rides and this boycott lasted 381 days and was extremely influential. As a result of a federal court ruling in June 1956, the Supreme Court ruled that laws enacted to segregate buses were unlawful. During the civil rights movement, the Montgomery bus boycott was one of the first significant movements that contributed to societal change.
I think the nonviolence used by civil rights activists was a good tactic because it demonstrated how powerful African Americans were because they knew that violence was not the answer. The Montgomery Bus Boycott proved how Africans Americans used their actions in a peaceful way rather than in a violent way. The Sit ins allowed for people to see how Africans Americans were treated with the help of having television coverage in order for African Americans to gain sympathy. The most important thing it showed was how united Africans Americans were and more African Americans began to join the movement. 2.
King made a name for himself when he organized the Montgomery bus boycott. This began when Rosa Parks would not give up her seat to a white man on the bus on December 1, 1955. She was arrested and this made the black community very angry. So the Montgomery Improvement Association lead by King, organized a bus boycott for December 5, 1955. This was very successful, so they decided to make this a long term campaign.
No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in” (History.com Rosa Parks). By refusing to follow the Jim Crow laws, Rosa Parks started the movement of the Montgomery Bus Boycott and civil rights movement. Led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., over a thousand blacks refused to ride the Montgomery buses, which resulted in the bus company’s massive loss in business since 70% of their customers were black. Thirteen months later, the Supreme Court finally ruled that segregated bus seating was unconstitutional (History.com Rosa
This is significant because Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white American. Rosa Park's disobedience led to a series unanimous actions from the African American community. For example, The Montgomery Bus Boycott was started by Martin Luther King Jr because of Park's actions. The Montgomery Boycott was a unanimous agreement from all African Americans, stating that no colored person would ride a bus in the South to end seating segregation. This was the first large scale protest against segregation.
During the Civil Rights Movement civilians strategized a way to fight for equal rights, and that was creating non-violent protests. By tolerating abusive behavior, unequal educational rights, and public discrimination protesters strategies were effective. The Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 is an example of public discrimination. Blacks were not able to sit in the front of the bus even if there was open seats.
The black community of Montgomery had a major impact on reforming segregated America by not riding the buses for 381 days and for organizing car pools, walking long distances, and for remaining nonviolent even when harassed and beaten by angry whites (Bullard 19). Jo Ann Robinson and the Women’s political Council who immediately began to organize a bus boycott (Bullard 18). NAACP leader E.D. Nixon, who formed the Montgomery Improvement Association and selected a newcomer in town, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, to be the spokesman (Bullard 18). Finally, Attorney Fred D. Gray, who sued the city in U.S, District Court, seeking to have the busing segregation laws invalidated (Montgomery Bus Boycott,
Following her arrest, there was debate on whether she refused to give up her simply because she was physically exhausted from her long day at work; However, Parks herself responded with “the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.” Once news of the boycott spread throughout the city, African American leaders throughout Montgomery lent their support immediately. On Sunday, December 4th, 1955, the boycott was announced officially by black ministers in churches and a front-page article on the planned boycott was published in a local general-interest newspaper, the Montgomery Advertiser. On the very next day, a majority of the African American bus riders in the town—approximately 40,000 people—boycotted the system. On that afternoon, local black leaders got together and formed the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA), electing 26-year-old Martin Luther King Jr. as its
started with the Montgomery Bus Boycott on December 1, 1955, with Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat for a white man. This is a southern custom that blacks give their seats to white passengers towards the front of the bus and blacks either stand or move to the back. Rosa Parks was thrown in jail, so this required African Americans to take charge and begin The Montgomery Bus Boycott. This boycott lasted for over a year with blacks refusing to ride the city buses, which showed unity and determination among the black community. While the bus boycott was developing, Martin Luther King Jr. emerged as a leader with many unique skills.
In this investigation, I will prove how Rosa Parks changed the civil rights movement. When she did not give up her seat on the bus for a white man on December 1, 1955, Rosa sparked the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott that was held for 381 days. At a young age Rosa Parks was born into segregation. Rosa did not like how her people were not treated equally. When she was told to give up her seat she refused because she wanted to show that all humans are the same and should be treated fairly.
