Montgomery Bus Boycott

How was the Boycott sustained?

1. Black leaders organized carpools 2. The city's African-American taxi drivers charged only 10 cents—the same price as bus fare—for African-American riders. 3. Black residents chose to walk to work or other destinations 4. Regular mass meetings were organized by black leaders to keep African-American residents mobilized around the boycott.

Why is the Montgomery Bus Boycott significant?

1. It set the stage for additional large-scale actions outside the court system to bring about fair treatment to African-Americans. 2. Martin Luther King emerged as a prominent national leader of the civil rights movement (from his leadership role in the MIA) 3. The boycott brought national and international attention to the civil rights struggles occurring in the United States (as more than 100 reporters visited Montgomery during the boycott to profile the effort and its leaders).

What was the Montgomery Bus Boycott?

A civil-rights protest during which African Americans refused to ride city buses in Montgomery, Alabama, to protest segregated seating.

How many riders boycotted?

Around 40,000 African-American bus riders (the majority of the city's bus riders) boycotted on Dec 5.

What association was formed on Dec. 5?

Black leaders met to form the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA).

What were the demands of the boycott?

Courtesy The hiring of black drivers First-come First-seated policy (whites from front, black from back).

How was awareness about the bus boycott spread?

Dec. 5: The Women's Political Council (WPC) began circulating flyers calling for a boycott of the bus system on December 5, the day Parks would be tried in municipal court. The "Montgomery Advertiser", a general-interest newspaper, published a front-page article on the planned action.

When was the lower court's decision upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court?

December 20, 1956.

When were Montgomery's buses integrated?

December 21, 1956

Who bailed her out of jail?

E.D. Nixon, a prominent black leader

What was the reason for the boycott?

Four days before the boycott, Rosa Parks was arrested and fined for refusing to yield her bus seat to a white man.

When did the Boycott take place?

From Dec. 5 1955, to Dec. 20 1956 (lasted 381 days)

What was the result of the boycott?

Integration, but also violence: January 30, 1957, seven bombers (members of the KKK) were arrested.

Who was the leader of the Boycott?

Martin Luther King Jr.

Who did the MIA elect as its president?

Martin Luther King, Jr., the 26-year-old-pastor of Montgomery's Dexter Avenue Baptist Church

When was the Montgomery federal court's decision that it violated the 14th amendment?

On June 5, 1956

Who was the secretary of the NAACP?

Rosa Parks

How much was she charged?

She was arrested and fined $10, plus $4 in court fees.

What Amendment did bus desegregation violate?

The 14th amendment: "guarantees all citizens—regardless of race—equal rights and equal protection under state and federal laws."

What is it referred to as?

The first large-scale U.S. demonstration against segregation.

How long were the boycotters planning the bus boycott to last?

They were to continue the boycott until the city met its demands.