Civil Rights Movement Josh Welna
Background Information
The Montgomery bus boycotts were a years long worth of boycotts and protests by African-Americans in Montgomery, Alabama. These boycotts were sparked by Rosa Parks, a woman who refused to give up her seat while on a city bus line. Mrs. Parks was arrested and fined $10. This sparked a total outrage amongst the different races. The protests the took place from December 5th, 1955 until December 20th, 1956. The events took place in and around the city of Montgomery, Alabama.
Goal of the Boycotts
The ultimate goal of the stoppage of riding the city lines was to get equal rights amongst the different races. According to USHistoy.org, the goal was very clear. "The demands they made were simple: Black passengers should be treated with courtesy. Seating should be allotted on a first-come-first-serve basis, with white passengers sitting from front to back and black passengers sitting from back to front" (Rosa Parks & the Bus Boycotts 1). This just shows that equal rights was a big problem in the United States during the mid to late 1900's. Also, it is telling us that getting equal rights could start out with something as simple as a seat on the bus.
Who was Involved?
There were two main people involved in the Montgomery Bus Boycotts. The first of which was Rosa Parks. Rosa was the start of it all. She refused to give up her seat on a city bus, which caused chaos. She was arrested and fined and people wanted change. If it wasn't for her refusing to give up a bus seat, it could've taken much longer to get equal rights for all of the races in America. A second important person involved was Martin Luther King Jr. He was the leader of the boycotting and fueled many Americans and a lot of African-Americans. After many famous speeches and great leadership amongst his people, his work payed off after a year of boycotting the Montgomery City busses.
Obstacles to overcome
There were many obstacles to overcome during the year of boycotts. One of the obstacles was the constant discrimination and segregation. It took Martin Luther King and his people a very long time to get into the heads of government officials. But, one of the biggest obstacles was the battle against the Jim Crow Laws and segregation. PBS.org explains the laws in a very understandable fashion, "The laws affected almost every aspect of daily life, mandating segregation of schools, parks, libraries, drinking fountains, restrooms, buses, trains, and restaurants. "Whites Only" and "Colored" signs were constant reminders of the enforced racial order" (Jim Crow Laws 1). This shows how much people fighting for their equal rights were up against.
What were the Lasting Impacts?
It ended with the Supreme Court ruling that segregation on buses is unconstitutional which is still in effect today. The lasting effects are that laws are still in place and that there are more strict about segregation everywhere. These events have influenced many things in America today, including the group called Black Lives Matter.
Modern day Inequality
I can connect my event to the modern day Black Lives Matter international movement that is mostly in the United States. The reason for my connection to Black Lives Matter isn’t about both events having to do with boycotting, it is because they are both fighting for a change. In 1963 there was a lot of criticism around the Montgomery Bus Boycotts and there is a lot of criticism surrounding Black Lives Matter as well. Black Live Matter protests are to fight for equality, against unnecessary racism, and violence against the different races.
Works Cited
American Experience. (n.d.). Retrieved April 26, 2017, from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/freedom-riders-jim-crow-laws/?scrlybrkr=beda207e
History.com Staff. (2010). Montgomery Bus Boycott. Retrieved April 26, 2017, from http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/montgomery-bus-boycott?scrlybrkr=ad0bb720.
(n.d.). Retrieved April 26, 2017, from http://kingencyclopedia.stanford.edu/encyclopedia/encyclopedia/enc_montgomery_bus_boycott_1955_1956/
Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott. (n.d.). Retrieved April 26, 2017, from http://www.ushistory.org/us/54b.asp
Credits:
Created with images by Scott_Calleja - "Rosa Parks Bus" • Fred Ortlip - "Henry Ford Museum" • pasa47 - "Rosa Parks Station" • Dorret - "15/365 Black Lives Matter" • seikoesquepayne - "Black Lives Matter" • stevebott - "Equal rights..."