How important was the Montgomery bus boycott in changing the civil rights of African-Americans? The Montgomery bus boycott was an event that started in the, 1st, December 1955, when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat in a segregated bus to a white man, leading to the Montgomery bus boycott to occur. I think this event was the most important in changing the civil rights of African-Americans. However, other event like ‘little rock’ and the ‘sit-ins’ were also very important events in changing civil rights. I believe the Montgomery bus boycott was the most important event in the 1950s -1960s in changing the civil rights for African-Americans, because this event gained internationally attention.
I believe that the contribution of Martin Luther King was huge for the Civil Rights Campaign, however many important campaigners were overshadowed by King who possibly got too much credit when it was due elsewhere. King had a giant effect on the progress of the advancement of black civil rights. The first major part he played in improving the social standing of black civilians was in his role governing the Montgomery Bus Boycott between 1955 and 1956. This boycott aimed to achieve, which it eventually did, the desegregation of public buses, which was partly initiated by Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat for a white man when asked to do so, who was then arrested. King was invited to lead the body which was coordinating the boycott, the Montgomery Improvement Association, so he was not responsible for creating and starting off this successful campaign, however his alluring personality and leadership skills helped motivate the campaign brilliantly.
One such person was Martin Luther King. Martin Luther King was a renowned Black civil rights campaigner who played a part in several major campaigns such as The Montgomery Bus Boycott and the events that took place in Birmingham in 1963. He helped to get Black Americans equal civil and voting rights. However he was not the only person to help the advancement of black Americans. There were many other civil right groups such as SNCC, who helped organise The Sit-ins of 1960; NAACP, who also aided The Montgomery Bus Boycott; and The Black Panthers, a more Militant group whose main cause was to empower Black people.
In 1951, the father of a black student named Linda Brown sued the Board of Education because a white school had prevented Brown from attending a school which was only seven blocks away, compared to the segregated black school she was attending which was more than seven blocks away from her home. Despite losing the first legal battle, Brown’s father did not give up. He found help from the NAACP, a prominent civil rights organisation which appealed on his behalf to the Supreme Court of USA. Following the appeal, in May 1954, Chief Justice Earl Warren declared the US Constitution to be ‘colour-blind’ and therefore ordered the Topeka Board of education to end segregation in its schools. This was one of the first major steps in the civil rights movement.
Bayard Rustin’s Influential March In this paper I will describe the situation African Americans faced in the decades prior to the rise of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s culminating in the 1963 March on Washington. I will also incorporate Bayard Rustin and how he has influenced this particular civil rights movement. Although largely behind the scenes, Bayard Rustin greatly impacted the civil rights movement in ways far greater than many people today may know. From playing a key role in the organization of the March on Washington, to influencing great activists such as Martin Luther King Jr., Bayard Rustin has shown relentless determination in achieving his goal of civil equality. The sources I am going to use to construct my paper will include both primary sources and secondary sources.
In an attempt to desegregate buses throughout the south, a challenge against segregation was needed. King, along with the NAACP challenged this in Montgomery, until segregation was abolished. The boycott lasted just over a year with the black population, walking and car pooling, where they would usually use buses. The bus company lost 65% of their revenue and after King was arrested, on December 21, 1956, the Montgomery Bus Company desegregated all their buses. The boycott led to wide media attention which signified King’s leadership qualities.
Martin Luther King Jr. was a leader in some of the most important racial desegregation groups. Obviously he was the leader of the Civil Rights movement as well He was a leader for the group called Montgomery Improvement Association. He was appointed the president of the Montgomery Improvement Association which was created during the boycott and he became a prominent leader of the boycott - even driving some of the black community to work as the buses had been boycotted. He also was one of the leaders of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and was one of the leaders for the Selma Voting Rights Movement. These groups gained MLK a lot of popularity in the 1960’s.
Martin Luther King Jr. was a leader in some of the most important racial desegregation groups. Obviously he was the leader of the Civil Rights movement as well He was a leader for the group called Montgomery Improvement Association. He was appointed the president of the Montgomery Improvement Association which was created during the boycott and he became a prominent leader of the boycott - even driving some of the black community to work as the buses had been boycotted. He also was one of the leaders of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and was one of the leaders for the Selma Voting Rights Movement. These groups gained MLK a lot of popularity in the 1960’s.
Specifically for African Americans, the equality and desegregation under this act of education, the workplace, and voter’s registration has been tremendously empowering. One of the great things about America that many other countries do not have is free education. Under Plessy v. Ferguson, segregation of schools was legalized under the conditions that it was separate but equal. During that time, the schools were definitely separated, but unquestionably unequal. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 overturned Plessy V. Ferguson which not only led to African Americans having better schools, but also allowed them to learn with their Caucasian peers.
Coretta Scott King had a major influence over Martin Luther King, and had a huge say in the decisions made by the Civil Rights Movement in moving towards democracy. As well as Betty Shabazz who also established a distinguished career in American activism, who to a great extent played just as much of a pivotal role in achieving change and equality for black people during the Civil Rights struggle of the 1960s as she played a major role in organizing the breakfast program for African Americans living in the ghettos in the South and providing decent housing and