1950's Bus Boycott

This page is about the 1955-56 Montgomery Bus Boycott. I hope you enjoy it.

Bus Boycotting
Bus Boycotting is when a person, or group of people, "boycott" or refuse to use or buy services/goods for a cause.

Civil Rights Bus Boycott Start
On December 1st, 1955, a black women walked onto a bus and sat in the front row of seats. A white man came onto the bus and the bus driver told her to move, when she refused, the white male who just boarded the bus called the police soon. The women, whose name was Rosa Parks, did not say anything or do anything. She sat there quietly and did not budge, not long after was she arrested.

The Beginning Result
Shortly after Rosa Parks was arrested, the black community became upset and seized the opportunity to do a protest against the city's segregation laws. Over the weekend, MLK and Ralph Abernathy met with the head of WPC, or Women's Political Council, along with E.D Nixon, a man from the NAACP, to discuss a boycott of the buses.

The Result
$40,000 in cash, was handed out to the members of the black community! On December 4th, 1955, Black ministers went out on the streets and told those of the black community of the incoming boycott. December 5th, 1955... The start of the "war" began. The black community began to boycott bus riding and bus services. The boycott was a success. According to the Bus' company's receipts about 90% of the black people that "normally ride the bus" found other means of transportation. Later that day, the black "leaders" called in a meeting and formed the M.I.A, or Montgomery Improvement Association. Martin Luther King Jr was voted to be president of the new organization and won.

The End of Bus Segregation
The Montgomery Bus Boycott kept going into 1956, during that time some people from the white community fought against the protesters in a number of ways. Some black people who rode car-pool were harassed by police, bombs were planted in some peoples homes, including E.D Nixon and The Revered King, M.L.K. At one point Martin Luther King Jr was arrested on a small speed offence. Later on, charges based off of the states anti-boycott laws were brought against Martin Luther King Jr and other members of M.I.A. Finally near the end of November 1956 the U.S.A's Supreme Court declared that the segregation on the buses was unconstitutional and it was banished, so the boycott ended.

How the Boycott Affected the Civil Rights Act
The boycott of 1955-56, in Montgomery, helped the Civil Right Act in a number of ways: 1. It Caught the attention of the entire nation and it was on such a scale it lasted for more than a year! 2. It helped launch the Civil Rights Act because it gave Martin Luther a spot of leadership which eventually lead up to his famous "I have a dream" speech! 3. Lastly, the boycott showed the nation that non-violent protests work far more better than violent protests!