The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a massively critical part of the Civil Rights Movement. On 1 December 1955 Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat for a white person in Montgomery, Alabama. Her prosecution in turn sparked a 381 day-long boycott with over 50,000 African-American’s partaking in this protest. Not only was the sheer number of people involved in the boycott successful in making it especially significant in the short term; it acted as a catalyst for the movement, influencing other non-violent protests and in forcing Martin Luther King to the forefront of the movement. The non-violence that was encouraged by King also proved to be extremely effective in impacting the whole of Montgomery and elsewhere.
The boycott had immediate significance
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King and his church were not only essential to the boycott by providing organisation, inspiration and financial aid, but in future protests where he was a key leadership figure. In addition, his peaceful philosophies were replicated as it highlighted the effectiveness in using non-violent protest, demonstrating how white brutality could be used to gain international and national support and King’s influence is evident as James Lawson quotes him “An ‘eye for an eye’ results in everybody blind and toothless” as justification as to why non-violence is essential in “creating a more just society”, as Lawson participated in the sit-ins, it is likely to bias towards portraying King and the movement positively. However, as it is a personal account, it is therefore extremely valuable in showing the influence King had on fellow southern Americans, encouraging them to participate in subsequent events. Wyatt Tee Walker also validates King’s influence, describing his involvement in the organisation of the Birmingham campaign of 1963, claiming it to have been his view that if “nonviolence wouldn’t work in Birmingham, then it wouldn’t work anywhere” . Therefore Walker is showing it to have been King’s ‘tactics’ of ‘attacking’ the most racial intolerant parts of America, which ultimately proved …show more content…
An extract of a British Embassy report reiterates King’s non-violent philosophies being adopted once again, with the March’s organisers urging “their followers to avoid excessive militancy and above all violence” . The protesters were also described as being on their “Sunday best behaviour” with “not a single incident of disorderly behaviour” being reported, showing the dignified manner in which over 200,000 demonstrators had carried themselves, similar to what was encouraged in the ‘1956 Bus Rules’: “Demonstrate the calm dignity of our Montgomery people” . The international significance of this event is evident as the British Embassy reported it, despite having no involvement in America’s Civil Right battle, which also insinuates it is unbiased. However as Britain was not directly involved, it is unlikely they knew the full extent of the events, also, American leaders may not have wanted to portray America as being unable to handle mass protests if violence had broken out. The widespread attention and sympathy that was initially gained during the Montgomery, and that was then maintained through the successive events it influenced, eventually led to the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act where racial discrimination was deemed unlawful and forbade racial exclusion from public places. This proves just how significant the
Dr. King uses his credibility to convince eight Alabama clergymen that his direct action protests are (right, constitutional, essential, should be accepted or supported or……...?). At the beginning of his letter, Dr. King indicates that there are 85 organizations across southern states that associated with his organization. This shows reader that his organization is backed-up by other organizations and (protesters are not bad [in different words]………?). Then he says that he cannot ignore what is happening in Birmingham while he is sitting in Atlanta, Georgia (). He mentions this to let his audience know that there are some problems in Birmingham and he is trying to solve them. He says, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” () He gives his reader an idea that there is injustice in Birmingham. It also indicate that King is unhappy and protesting because injustice exists in Birmingham. Dr. King says that he and people who are involved in direct-action protests are not the ones who create tension, but they a...
The black people of Montgomery decided that the best way to show their anger at what had happened and how they were being treated would be by boycott, not use, the local bus service. One the first day of the boycott the buses were almost empty. The black community worked together and arranged another forms of transport such as car pool, or waling. Black taxi companies only charged back passengers the price of the bus fair and some white people who could do without their servants even when to pick them up form their homes. During the boycott the bus company lost 65% of their earnings. This showed people who powerful non-violent protest could be, by challenging black segregation laws without committing a crime. It also showed the black people how powerful they could be if they worked together.
In late 1955, Dr. King was elected to lead his first public peaceful protest. For the rest of the year and throughout all of 1956, African Americans decided to boycott the Montgomery bus system in response to the arrest of Rosa Parks. After 382 days of protest, the city of Montgomery was forced to lift the law mandating segregated public transportation because of the large financial losses they suffered from the protest. King began to receive notice on a national level in 1960. On October ...
Parks, the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955-56 was actually a collective response to decades of intimidation, harassment and discrimination of Alabama's African American population. By 1955, judicial decisions were still the principal means of struggle for civil rights, even though picketing, marches and boycotts sometimes punctuated the litigation. The boycott, which lasted for more than a year, was almost 100 percent effective.
(3) Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955): After the supreme court decided to end segregation, African Americans started to speak out more about their racial opinions. In Montgomery, Alabama, a bus boycott ended with a victory for the African Americans. The Supreme Court ruled that the Alabama segregation laws were unconstitutional. During the boycott a young African American Baptist minister, Martin Luther King, Jr. became well known. Throughout the long contest he advised African Americans to avoid violence no matter had badly provoked by whites. Rosa Parks tired of sitting in the back of the bus, and giving up her seat to white men. One weary day she refused to move from the front of the bus, and she became one of history's heroes in the Civil Rights Act movement.
“In spite of my shattered dreams of the past, I came to Birmingham with the hope that the white religious leadership of this community would see the justice of our cause and with deep moral concern serve as the channel through which our just grievances could get to the power structure.” This appeal seems logical enough, the church is typically the first to offer aid and is usually quick to join a cause that benefits mankind. However in the case of Birmingham King said, “But again I have been disappointed.” This is because of the inaction of the southern white church who stood passively as their Christian brethren struggled, this is perhaps the greatest cause of King’s frustration. The idea that Christians would ignore the suffering of those around them was, perhaps, novel to King, who strongly believed in loving thy neighbor as thyself. For him this inaction was possibly similar to a slap in the face, to be ignored by other Christians whom he should have been able to rely on based on principle. King does mention a few noble white churches whom helped in the struggle such as “Reverend Stallings, for your Christian stand this past Sunday in welcoming Negroes to your Baptist Church worship service on a
During the course of King's writing, one of his strong points is his ability to take the words of his oppressors, discredit them or explain why their ideas aren't plausible, convey his ideas, and detail exactly why and how they will work. In the sixth paragraph, King rebukes those who "deplore the demonstrations that are currently taking place in Birmingham," as they are only dealing with the effect and not recognizing the cause for the demonstrations, then clarifies that the white power left the Negro community no other choice. In the next paragraph, King spells out the four basic steps of any non-violent demonstration. Breaking it down even more, he gives an example of each step in the Birmingham situation. King gave the reader an easy to follow step by step account of a non-violent protest that let the reader understand the careful planning of each step.
(Ansbro, 231) instead of promoting love and violence among all races. King’s purpose in promoting nonviolence direct action was to create a situation so crisis packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiations. He felt that practicing nonviolence would portray his followers as moral beings while making apparent the brutality of the segregationists. King’s preaching of nonviolence was monumental in succeeding in demonstrations such as the Montgomery bus boycott and the desegregation of public schools. King’s reaching of nonviolent direct action furthers the arguments that King is the most influential person of the twentieth century.
Thousands of Americans gathered and marched peacefully in August 28, 1963 to Washington which was the greatest assemblage for human rights in the history of the United States. They marched for justice, equality and peace. According to the article, “The 1963 March on Washington” Yussuf Simmonds describes, “…An unprecedented gathering of blacks and Whites exposing society 's ills and demanding that the government enforce the laws equally to protect all its citizens regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ethnicity or any other superficial differences that had been place by human beings on other human beings” (1). Dr. King delivered his historic speech “I Have a Dream” which is one of the most influential speeches against racial segregation
Martin Luther King Jr., is one of the most recognized, if not the greatest civil rights activist in this century. He has written papers and given speeches on the civil rights movement, but one piece stands out as one of his best writings. “Letter from Birmingham” was an intriguing letter written by King in jail in the city of Birmingham, Alabama. He was responding to a letter written by eight Alabama Clergyman that was published in a Birmingham Alabama newspaper in 1963 regarding the demonstrations that were occurring to stop segregation. The intended audience for this letter was of course the eight clergymen, but he also had a wider audience in mind because instead of sending each individual man a letter he had it published in the local newspaper.
From the Boston Tea Party of 1773, the Civil Rights Movement and the Pro-Life Movement of the 1960s, to the Tea Party Movement and Occupy Wall Street Movement of current times, “those struggling against unjust laws have engaged in acts of deliberate, open disobedience to government power to uphold higher principles regarding human rights and social justice” (DeForrest, 1998, p. 653) through nonviolent protests. Perhaps the most well-known of the non-violent protests are those associated with the Civil Rights movement. The movement was felt across the south, yet Birmingham, Alabama was known for its unequal treatment of blacks and became the focus of the Civil Rights Movement. Under the leadership of Martin Luther King Jr., president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, African-Americans in Birmingham, began daily demonstrations and sit-ins to protest discrimination at lunch counters and in public facilities. These demonstrations were organized to draw attention to the injustices in the city. The demonstrations resulted in the arrest of protesters, including Martin Luther King. After King was arrested in Birmingham for taking part in a peaceful march to draw attention to the way that African-Americans were being treated there, their lack of voter rights, and the extreme injustice they faced in Alabama he wrote his now famous “Letter from Birmingham.”
King’s letter is addressed to many men of religion (Clergymen) who criticized Dr. King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s (SCLC) actions during their protests in the city of Birmingham. Through his letter, King expresses his disappointment about the clergymen’s criticisms, and he wants to address their concerns. King defends his right to be in Birmingham is very straightforward tone of writing. King presents a moral reason why he has the right to be present, as he says that he came to the city to fight injustice. He believes that all communities and state are related with one another. King blames the clergymen for criticizing the SCLC without trying to understand the racist causes of injustice that is being protested against. Dr. King explains his plans of organizing nonviolent action.
Enraged with the death of Jim, around 650 protestors gathered again on March 7 and attempted a march through Selma to Montgomery, ignoring Governor Wallace’s orders not to march. They again met with state troopers and a crueler response. A wall of state troopers was formed at US Highway 80 to stop the march. After refusing the orders from the police to stop the march, the troopers took action. The prot...
Blacks walked miles to work, organized carpools, and despite efforts from the police to discourage this new spark of independence, the boycotts continued for more than a year until in November 1956 the Supreme Court ruled that the Montgomery bus company must desegregate it's busses. Were it not for the leadership of Rosa Parks and Jo Ann Robinson, and the support the black community through church congregations, these events may have not happened for many years to come.
...ivil rights in America, galvanized by the landmark Brown vs. Board of Educa2tion of Topeka decision of 1954.” The Montgomery bus boycott happened on “December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks... who refused to give up her sear to a white passenger on a bus” she was arrested. Later, the Supreme Court ruled “segregated seating on public buses unconstitutional in November 1956.”