The Montgomery Bus Boycott

The Montgomery Bus Boycott

The Montgomery Bus Boycott
Montgomery, Alabama, known as the Cradle of the Confederacy in the span of 381 days became the Cradle of the New Negro.[1] From the time that Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat, to the speech Martin Luther King, Jr delivered which officially ended the boycott, the foundation was being laid for tremendous changes that would take place in the coming decade. The repercussions of the Montgomery Bus Boycott were far-reaching, tide-changing, and the beginning of a new era in black and white relations in America. Though Montgomery was certainly not the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement, it was a key component of the mass movement which began in earnest after its success. From this event arose a new leader for the black community, a new religious-based foundation for southern leadership, an effective strategy for creating positive change, and a determination among the black community that Jim Crow could and would be ended.
On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on bus 2857 to a white individual. By December 3 ministers in the city had met, created a plan, and were prepared to introduce it to their congregations during services the next day. The following Sunday, December 4, ministers in congregations throughout Montgomery spread the news that a boycott would begin the next day. On Monday, December 5, ninety percent of blacks who rode the bus to work regularly stayed off. They walked, joined car pools, drove wagons, and rode mules to avoid the buses.[2] At the beginning of the boycott it was said that the blacks were not capable of organizing and maintaining the boycott. In response, they organized 50,000 men and women who remained united for a year.[3] On December 15 Rosa Parks case was tried in court. At the conclusion of the thirty minute trial, Rosa Parks was found guilty and fined ten dollars.[4] The foundation was laid for the civil case which would be brought...

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