Montgomery Bus Boycott

613 Words3 Pages
Montgomery Bus Boycott: Factfile Intro The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a refusal of many black Americans to use the Montgomery State bus service because it was segregating the seats. Many political figures led the boycott including Martin Luther King. Eventually, a year after a year of dispute and violence the Supreme Court ruled that the bus service could not use segregation laws. This was the first pivotal event that enabled coloured Americans to pursue freedom and justice through the Civil Rights Movement. Key Features The official start of the boycott was on December 1st 1955. Rosa Parks, a black seamstress, had refused to give up her seat to a white man on the Montgomery Bus service. Rosa Parks was an educated woman, a long-time member of the NAACP and had completed a course on “Race Relations” in the Highlander Folk School, Tennessee. She was subsequently arrested, which sparked outrage among the black community. The MIA(Montgomery Improvement Association) was formed with Martin Luther King as president. Leaflets were passed around the black community urging them to stop using the bus services. The effect was immense, with countless buses in Montgomery empty. An MIA meeting of 7000 was held in Holt Street Baptist Church, where it was decided that the boycott would continue. At that meeting Martin Luther King gave an inspiring speech that spread the boycott further among blacks. On December 8th, Martin Luther King held a meeting with bus officials and lawyers. He and the MIA appealed for the desegregation of the service, but were denied. During the boycott, blacks walked, biked, carpooled(private black drivers transported passengers) and hitchhiked to get around. Black taxi drivers offered discounts to black passengers. Many actions were taken by white supremacists, police and city officials to counter the boycott. A ruling fined drivers who charged less
Open Document