In Montgomery Alabama the Montgomery Bus Boycott campaign started in 1955. It was a social and political protest that was opposed to the city's policy of racial segregation. Important figures of the civil rights movement got involved with this boycott. They were, Martin Luther King, Jr., Ralph Abernathy, Rosa Parks and others.
White people who rode the buses would sit in seats in the front of the bus. The black people that would ride the buses were supposed to sit in the seats at the back of the bus. When all of the seats were full if another black person got on the bus they had to stand. But if another white person got on the bus a black person had to give up their seat and stand just so the white person could sit. Most of the time the blacks had to pay at the door and then enter the bus through the back and many times the bus driver would drive away with their money before they could get back on the bus.
Rosa Parks was sitting in the row farthest up when a white passenger got on. There were no other seats open so she was supposed to move. When she was told to move she said no and was arrested because she didn't obey the bus driver's rules.
This happened on Thursday, December 1st. On this night, the head of the Women's Political Council, Jo Ann Robinson printed this article:
"Another woman has been arrested and thrown in jail because she refused to get up out of her seat on the bus for a white person to sit down. It is the second time since the Claudette Colvin case that a Negro woman has been arrested for the same thing. This has to be stopped. Negroes have rights too, for if Negroes did not ride the buses, they could not operate. Three-fourths of the riders are Negro, yet we are arrested, or have to stand over empty seats. If we do not do something to stop these arrests, they will continue. The next time it may be you, or your daughter, or mother. This woman's case will come up on Monday. We are, therefore, asking every Negro to stay off the buses Monday in protest of the arrest and trial. Don't ride the buses to work, to town, to school, or anywhere on Monday. You can afford to stay out of school for one day if you have no other way to go except by bus. You can also afford to stay out of town for one day. If you work, take a cab, or walk. But please, children and grown-ups, don't ride the bus at all on Monday. Please stay off all buses Monday."
On Saturday, December 3rd, the black community decided they would support the boycott. Not very many blacks rode the bus on that day. Martin Luther King wrote "A Miracle Had Taken Place". Carpools were orginized to limit the use of buses by blacks. The cities started to press insurance companies to stop insuring cars that were involved with the carpooling. The black taxi drivers only charged ten cents to support the boycott. Word got out and the taxi drivers were threatened to be fined for not charging at least fourty five cents.
Some boycotters were physically attacked, Martin Luther King's and Ralph Abernathy's houses were, firebomed. Four black Baptist churches were also firebomed. 156 protestors were arrested. So was King, he spent two weeks in jail. This move backfired and ended up bringing attention to the protest.
On June 4th, 1956 Alabama's racial segregation was claimed unconstitutional by the Federal District Court. The boycott went on until November 13th, 1956 when the Supreme Court uphelp the districts court's ruling. The victory allowed black bus riders to sit anywhere they wanted. The boycott ended on December 20, 1956, it lasted 381 days.
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