Background and Introduction & The Day that Caused the Boycott

Life in Montgomery Before the Boycott

Montgomery, Alabama, in the 1950s, was a segregated city where African Americans faced significant discrimination and inequality. This segregation was enforced through Jim Crow laws, which mandated separate facilities for Black and white people. Public buses in Montgomery were a prime example of this segregation. Black passengers were required to sit at the back of the bus, and if the bus became crowded, they had to give up their seats to white passengers and stand.

African Americans made up about 75% of the bus ridership, yet they were treated poorly and had to pay at the front of the bus, then get off and re-enter through the back door. Often, bus drivers would drive away before Black passengers could re-enter, leaving them stranded. This daily humiliation and the overall inequality faced by the Black community created deep resentment and a desire for change.

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The Day That Started the Boycott: Rosa Parks and Her Act of Defiance

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, a 42-year-old African American seamstress and civil rights activist, made a decision that would change history. After a long day of work, she boarded a Montgomery city bus and took a seat in the "coloured section." As the bus filled up, the driver demanded that Parks and three other Black passengers give up their seats for white passengers. While the other three complied, Parks refused.

Rosa Parks' refusal to give up her seat was not just an act of personal defiance; it was a calculated decision influenced by her work with the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People). She had experienced racial injustice firsthand and had long been involved in efforts to improve civil rights.

When Parks refused to give up her seat, the bus driver called the police, and she was arrested for violating the city's segregation laws. Parks was charged and fined $10, plus $4 in court fees. Her arrest sparked outrage and mobilised the Black community in Montgomery.

Not many people know that before Rosa Parks made history, a 15-year-old girl named Claudette Colvin had already refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. In March 1955—nine months before Parks' protest—Colvin was arrested for her defiance, becoming one of the first to challenge bus segregation directly. She later played a central role as a plaintiff in Browder v. Gayle, the landmark case that reached the Supreme Court and declared bus segregation unconstitutional in 1956. This ruling brought the Montgomery bus boycott to an end and marked a turning point in the civil rights movement.

Colvin's story, however, was overshadowed by Rosa Parks. At the time, civil rights leaders did not promote her case because she was a teenager who later became pregnant, fearing the media would use her personal circumstances to undermine the movement. Even Rosa Parks admitted that Colvin's situation would have allowed critics to dismiss the case. For decades her bravery went unrecognised, but today she is acknowledged as a pioneer, and in 2021 her arrest record was finally cleared—more than 66 years after her act of resistance.

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The Beginning of the Boycott

The day after Parks' arrest, local civil rights leaders began organising a boycott of the city's buses. Among these leaders was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who was a young pastor at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. The Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) was formed to oversee the boycott, with King elected as its president.

On December 5, 1955, the first day of the boycott, African Americans in Montgomery refused to ride the buses. Instead, they walked, carpooled, or used other means of transportation to get to work and school. The boycott was a tremendous success, with nearly 90% of the Black community participating.

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Key Figures and Organisations

Rosa Parks: Often called "the mother of the civil rights movement," Parks' courageous act of defiance and her subsequent arrest galvanised the Black community in Montgomery and beyond. Her personal bravery became a symbol of the struggle against racial injustice.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: At just 26 years old, King became the leader of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. His eloquent speeches and commitment to non-violent protest inspired the movement and garnered national attention.

Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA): This organisation was formed to coordinate the boycott and fight for civil rights. It played a crucial role in sustaining the boycott and pushing for desegregation.

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