Montgomery Boycott Bus

Quels sont les motifs de la mobilisation ?

From 5 December 1955 to 21 December 1956 :

Firstly, the arrest of Rosa Parks, a black American woman who refused to give a white man her seat in a bus, was behind the beginning of the movement for civil rights in the United States. The Montgomery bus boycott was a 13-month mass protest and so became one of the major events of the civil rights movement.

Besides,this movement has three immediate demands:

First, they expected white and black people could sit wherever they want in buses.

Then, they wanted drivers being more affable towards everyone.

Finally, they expected that black drivers were engaded.

We understand that their aim were not only to obtain equal political rights for every American citizen, but also to intensify the fight for civil rights in order to extend all states desegregation.

Quels sont les acteurs en présence ?

The woman who is said to be the triggering element is Rosa Parks. Indeed, her arrest inspired black leaders to organized a city bus boycott. And so 40 000 African-American and especially Jo Ann Robinson who’s the president of the Women's Political Council, focused on the organization of the boycott in just two days in order that their claim was heard among political forces.The Montgomery movement also introduced a freedom fighter named Nixon who helped to plan actions.

After that, representatives of religious, professional or else civil black community came together and created a new movement organized by the Baptist Church: the Montgomery Improvement Association. These members elected the young Martin Luther King Jr. as president.  As a result, on 5 December, 90 percent of Montgomery’s black citizens stayed off the buses.

VIDEO : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QZik4CYtgw

Quelles formes prend l'action collective ?

 Following the Rosa Park’s arrest, the Women’s Political Council decided to start actions and to protest by distributing flyers to asking all afro-americans to boycott all buses during a day. Meanwhile, Nixon alarmed others and made arrangements for the boycott.

Besides, this is an extract of the distributed text of leaflets:

« Another Negro woman has been arrested and thrown into jail because she refused to get up out of her seat on the bus and give it to a white person.

Until we do something to stop these arrests, they will continue. The next time it may be you, or you or you. This woman´s case will come up Monday.

We are, therefore, asking every Negro to stay off the buses on Monday in protest of the arrest and trial. »

On december the 5th,  buses were in majority empty and specially in black community. Instead of taking the bus the black people were walking to their jobs, to schools or they shared cars. Some of them

The next night, fifty leaders of the African American community, led by the young pastor Dr. Martin Luther King,  met at the Baptist Church and founded the Montgomery Improvement Association. It was discuss about theories of non -violence and civil disobedience.  Martin Luther King started to think about the necessary steps which were to follow. He decided of following the system of the car pools which means that volunteers must provide their cars to drive others at their job. Thus, about 300 cars were available and were regularly running between 46 stations placed throughout the black neighborhood.

Moreover, for the first time the tactics of nonviolent action demonstrated their effectiveness in which the non massive economic cooperation leading to the boycott of the bus was the single weapon.

Quels sont les résultats ?

Finally, on november the 13rd 1956, the Supreme Court of the United States considered that segregation in buses were an anti constitutional act.

However, violence is going on with some shots against buses and M. Luther King’s house, or else explosions in churches frequented by black people. Furthermore, even if segregation was abolished in buses of Alabama, it was not the case in inter-states ways. Indeed it was not until 1964 that all kinds of segregation in publics spaces were baned. Moreover, not only the segregation on buses was abolished but also it inspired many other civil rights movements which followed shortly. Even if racial problems have never disappeared completely, it can be said that the boycott is a great example of people´s unity and determination in the American history movement, and this is also the reason why M. Luther King became a symbol and gained respect of the whole black community.

What are the motifs of mobilisation?

From 5 December 1955 to 21 December 1956 :

Firstly, the arrest of Rosa Parks, a black American woman who refused to give a white man her seat in a bus, was behind the beginning of the movement for civil rights in the United States. The Montgomery bus boycott was a 13-month mass protest and so became one of the major events of the civil rights movement.

Besides,this movement has three immediate demands: 

• First, they expected white and black people could sit wherever they want in buses.
• Then, they wanted drivers being more affable towards everyone.
• Finally, they expected that black drivers were engaded. 

We understand that their aim were not only to obtain equal political rights for every American citizen, but also to intensify the fight for civil rights in order to extend all states desegregation.

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