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Claudette Colvin
Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old African American girl, was taking the bus home from school when she decided that she was going to sit in the 'Whites Only' section at the front of the bus. When asked to give up her seat for a white person, Colvin refused. She was then forcibly removed from the bus and arrested. Colvin discussed this incident with leaders of black organizations, but they felt that she was too young to be the face of their movement (Adler, 2009). -
Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks, an African American seamstress, would not give up her seat on the bus for a white man. Consequently, she was arrested and then fined. Parks spoke with prominent leaders of black organizations regarding the event and it was decided that she would be a proper poster-girl for the start of the protests (Onion et al., 2010). -
Word Gets Out
The President of the Women's Political Counsel (WPC), Jo Ann Robinson, decided that there would be a bus boycott, beginning on December 5th. The WPC creates fliers to raise awareness for the event, and on December 4th, word is spread through black ministers of the boycott that is to come (Onion et al., 2010). -
Begin of the Boycott
The day that the boycott was set to begin was significant as this was the day that Rosa Parks was set to be on trial. The boycott began with upwards of 40,000 African Americans protesting the city bus systems. This was especially significant as, at this time in Montgomery, African Americans made up the majority of bus riders in the city (Onion et al., 2010). -
Period: to
Montgomery Bus Boycott
The Montgomery Bus Boycott officially lasted 381 days, just over a year (Onion et al., 2010). -
Browder v. Gayle Goes to Court
Aurelia S. Browder, Claudette Colvin, Susie McDonald, and Mary Louise Smith sued the city of Montgomery, Alabama, challenging the laws in place that called for segregation on city buses. Fred Gray and Charles Langford spoke on behalf of the four women, and the case made it all the way to the Supreme Court (Stanford University, 2019). -
Browder v. Gayle Ruling
Segregation of Alabama’s city buses was ultimately deemed unconstitutional, determined by a two-to-one ruling in the Supreme Court (Stanford University, 2019). -
End of the Boycott
All city buses in Alabama were ordered to integrate, per the ruling of Browder v. Gayle as judged by the Supreme Court. With the law now being put into place, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, having lasted for 381 days at this point, came to an end (Stanford University, 2019). -
Implementation of the Law
As of this day, all Montgomery city buses were officially integrated, a lengthy six months after the official supreme court ruling was announced (Stanford University, 2019). -
Rise of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Even though the bus boycott ended here, it is important to note that the civil rights movement was only just getting started. This series of events is where MLK got initially recognized, which is what led to him becoming a staple of the movement as a whole, and a key spokesperson (Onion et al., 2010).