The Montgomery Bus Boycott began in 1955 when Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger, leading to a year-long boycott of the bus system organized by the Montgomery Improvement Association led by Martin Luther King Jr. in protest of racial segregation policies. The boycott faced opposition through legal and violent tactics by white citizens and officials aimed at undermining it. Ultimately, the boycott was successful as the US Supreme Court ruled that segregation on public buses was unconstitutional, overturning the segregation policies.

1. 1. What is the relationship between state and
federal government in the US?
2. What is the Constitution?
3. What is the role of the Supreme Court?

2. Using the Supreme Court against
discrimination.

3.  On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks got a bus home.
The bus was ‘full’ in the sense that all the seats for
white Americans were in use. Parks was seated in a
seat for black Americans. A white man got on board
and found that all the ‘white’ seats were full. The bus
driver told four black Americans to move further down
the bus. Three complied but Parks refused to give up
her seat and was arrested.
 In protest, a boycott of the buses by black Americans in
Montgomery began.
 Those who had organised the one-day boycott created
an organisation called the Montgomery Improvement
Association. Martin Luther King was elected its
president. MIA to decide to continue the boycott based
on its one-day success.

4.  City officials in Montgomery tried to undermine the boycott.
They made it illegal for cab drivers to charge less than 45
cents a fare. (They had been charging the equivalent of a bus
fare which was 10 cents.)
 The white community of Montgomery also tried to undermine
the boycott. Carpool drivers were frequently arrested for the
most minor of traffic violations. Insurance firms withdrew their
insurance for the vehicles. On February 21st, King along with
88 other people were arrested for organising a boycott which
violated an obscure law. He was ordered to pay $500 as a
fine.
 MIA took their case to a federal court which deemed
segregation on buses to be unconstitutional.
 The boycott ended on December 21st 1956.

5. In response to the court decision opposing whites swelled the
ranks of the White Citizens’ Council, the membership of which
doubled during the course of the boycott. The councils
sometimes resorted to violence: Martin Luther King’s house was
firebombed, as were four black Baptist churches. Boycotters
were often physically attacked.

6. 1. What similarities can you identify between
the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Linda
Brown Case?
2. What methods were used to fight
discrimination in this civil rights action?
3. In your opinion what was the most important
outcome of the Montgomery Bus Boycott?