Montgomery Bus Boycott: Catalyst for Civil Rights Movement

National History Day

The Montgomery Bus Boycott took a stand in history by disagreeing to rule by Jim Crow laws, boycotting the racist rules and persisting in doing so. During this time, blacks were separated from whites because of their race. Blacks had to sit in the back of the bus at all times, even if there was room at the front. On December 1st, 1955, Rosa Parks rode bus number 2857 in Montgomery, Alabama,(“Montgomery Bus Boycott,” History.com) On this day, she changed the course of history by refusing her seat to a white man. Rosa Parks had come back from a long day at work and didn't feel like moving to the back of the bus when the bus driver James F. Blake asked her to move to the back of the colored section, (“Montgomery Bus

The Montgomery Bus Boycott brought international attention and put light on the segregation of blacks in the United States of America. Because of all the attention they received, the Supreme Court was focused on the situation of segregated buses.They created a federal ruling named Browder v. Gayle realizing that any law that segregated seating on buses violated the 14th Amendment adopted in 1868.(“Montgomery Bus Boycott,” History.com). Because of this, on November 13th, 1956, the Supreme Court ordered the state of Alabama to completely desegregate their buses,(“Montgomery Bus Boycott,” American History). On December 20th, 1956, the Montgomery buses were finally desegregated,(“Montgomery Bus Boycott,” American History). Integration of the Montgomery buses leads to violence. Many people started to shoot the buses with snipers. Bell Street Baptist Church, Hutchinson Street Baptist Church, Abernathy's First Baptist Church, and Mount Olive Baptist Church were bombed by 7 members of the Ku Klux Klan, (“Montgomery Bus

For example, on February 1, 1960, four African Americans from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College staged a peaceful protest to desegregate Woolworth’s Lunch Counter, who served to only white people (“Greensboro Sit-In,” History.com”). This spread through the whole nation. In 55 cities, people were protesting the segregation of stores, libraries, and more, (“Greensboro Sit-In,” History.com”). This event is very similar to the Montgomery Bus Boycott because they both show people peacefully and politely fighting for equality. The Greensboro Sit-In also ended in a triumph. During the summer of the 1960s, many diners, including Woolworths, were becoming integrated throughout the south because of Ezell Blair Jr., David Richmond, Franklin McCain and Joseph McNeil for sitting at a whites-only counter and asking for a cup of