Rosa parks bus montgomery alabama 1956

Montgomery Bus Boycott

By brielle.roll

  • Women's Political Council

    The Women's Political Council (WPC) of Montgomery tried to get white officials to modify the Jim Crow restrictions on public transportation but they had very little success. This group sparked the bus movement.

  • Claudette Colvin

    Claudette Colvin, a 15 year old, wouldn't give up her school bus seat to a white student. She was arrested and mistreated by the police that arrested her, and this also sparked a small bus boycott.

  • Rosa Parks

    In December, Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat after the driver told her to move for the white person. She replied, "No." Rosa Parks demonstrated that peaceful protest was powerful, maybe much more powerful than the violent protest happening around the nation. This ultimately led to the creation of new groups and programs, furthering the Civil Rights Movement.

  • Emmett Till

    Though this didn't happen in Montgomery or even Alabama, the lynching of Emmett Till, a 14 year old black boy, shook the black community of America and angered them even more, sparking more movement in the Civil Rights process.

  • Mary Louise Smith

    Mary Louise Smith was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on the bus to a white person. Here we see common, similar events happening, leading up to the defining moment of the movement.

  • Rosa Parks

    In December, Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat after the driver told her to move for the white person. She replied, "No." Rosa Parks demonstrated that peaceful protest was powerful, maybe much more powerful than the violent protest happening around the nation. This ultimately led to the creation of new groups and programs, furthering the Civil Rights Movement.

  • Montgomery Bus Boycott

    The Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) group was created in response to Rosa Parks protest, and ultimately led to the official bus boycott, later known as the Montgomery Bus Boycott. They elected Martin Luther King Jr. as their leader and he gave one of his infamous speeches, which led the black community to vote almost unanimously on keeping the protest going and having a real boycott.