Montgomery Bus Boycott

Civil Rights

Early Southern Campaigns, 1955-62

Montgomery Bus Boycott 1955-1956

Montgomery is in Alabama- a Southern state with widespread segregation

· buses had first few rows for whites and the back for blacks.

· If the bus was full, black people were expected to stand up so white people could sit down.

Dec 1^st 1955

· Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat for a white man- she was arrested and fined $14

· A two pronged attack on Alabama segregation laws was established

1. NAACP mounted a legal case to challenge segregation laws

2. Black people of Montgomery began a campaign of direct action targeting local bus companies

What happened in the boycott?

· It was non violent – worked through black churches & tied in with MLK’s philosophy.

· Its aim was to coordinate a boycott of Montgomery buses until segregation was abolished.

· The MIA was established under MLK.

· It began…