1. How significant was Rosa Parks and the Bus Boycott? Aim C-B to describe the events of the bus boycott A-A*: to explain the importance of the bus boycott. Starter Simple What does this poster tell you about black people during WW2? Super Why was this poster published in 1943?

2. Rosa Parks Rosa Parks and the Bus Boycott You will have two minute on the following slides to write down any important information

3. The Montgomery Bus Boycott started in December 1955. What happened in Montgomery is seen as a pivotal point in the whole civil rights story and brought to prominence a seamstress called Rosa Parks.

4. The structure of southern society pre- 1955 ensured that black Americans were very much second class citizens. Southern states had white only restaurants, white only rest zones in bus centres etc. In Montgomery, Alabama, buses were segregated (as was common elsewhere in the South) with specific areas on a bus reserved for white customers and other seats for black customers.

5. The story behind the bus boycott seems simple. After a full day’s work, 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.

6. In protest, a boycott of the buses by black Americans in Montgomery began. It was probably the first example of the economic clout that the community had because eventually, the bus company had to desegregate their buses or face serious financial difficulties as very many black Americans used the buses. Without their economic input via fares, the bus company of Montgomery faced probable bankruptcy

7. However, there is more to the story. Many believe that the act by Rosa Parks was a reaction after a hard day’s work and that it was not pre-planned. The evidence possibly suggests that the whole issue of a bus boycott had been some while in the planning. As early as 1954, twenty-five local associations in Montgomery had informed the city’s mayor, W A Gayle, that a city-wide boycott of the city’s buses was being planned. The city’s Women’s Political Council was planning a boycott in 1955. To give their movement more impetus, they needed a respected member of the community to be arrested for violating city bus law.

8. Even before the arrest of Rosa Park’s, a fifteen year old student, Claudette Colvin, was arrested on March 2nd 1955 for refusing to give up her ‘white’ seat. However, her case was not pursued by the NAACP as one of the charges against Colvin was assault. What the NAACP wanted was a case that was simply one involved with segregation with no other issue that might cloud the case. The state of Alabama dropped the segregation issue against Colvin and simply pursued a case of assault and battery.

9. When Parks was arrested, the NAACP asked the police why they had done this. E D Nixon of the NAACP was told that “it was none of your damn business.” After finding out the reason for her arrest, Nixon posted the bond required for her release. The Parks case had none of the potential complications of the Colvin case. The NAACP asked Parks if they could pursue her case with regards to the legality of segregation. A one-day boycott of the city’s buses was organised for Monday 5th December. It proved to be highly successful. A 26 year old minister at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church saw empty bus after empty bus drive down his road. He was Martin Luther King.

10. Those who had organised the one-day boycott created an organisation called the Montgomery Improvement Association. King was elected its president. MIA had to decide whether to continue with the boycott or to bask in the success of the one-day boycott. Though some wanted to end the boycott after just one day, the vote taken that night showed that the majority wanted the boycott to continue. City officials in Montgomery tried to undermine the boycott. Black cab drivers had charged the same as the buses in an effort to get black people to work in lieu of there being no buses. However, city officials declared that the minimum fare that a cab driver could charge was 45 cents – so the 10 cents being paid was effectively made illegal. To get around this, MIA introduced a private taxi plan whereby those blacks who owned their car picked up and dropped off people at designated points. This overcame the 45 cents fare issue.

11. MIA also used the courts to fight their case for an end to desegregation. By a 2 to 1 majority a federal court deemed segregation on buses to be unconstitutional. The city authorities had argued that integration would lead to violence – an argument rejected by two of the judges.

12. The violence did end and the integration of the buses in Montgomery went ahead with relative success. On January 10th and 11th 1956, ministers in MIA met in Atlanta other ministers who worked in the south. The result of this meeting was the founding of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Martin Luther King was elected its president. It wanted to build on the success on the civil rights movement in areas such as transport and education but in a non-violent way.

13. What happened? Standard Using the information provided draw and label a step by step account of Rosa Parks’ protest and the following Bus Boycott. Super Write a newspaper article on the Montgomery Bus Boycott

14. v The Story of Rosa Parks’ Protest and the Bus Boycott. Event 1.Event 2.Event 3. Event 4. Event 5.Event 6.

15. What criteria would you use to judge the significance of Rosa Parks?

16. Rosa Parks WAS significantRosa Parks WASN’T significant Martin Luther King Brown vs Topeka Civil Rights Act of 1957 Little Rock

17. Rosa Parks WAS significantRosa Parks WASN’T significant As secretary of the local NAACP, she gave them a legal case they could support as she simply refused to move seats (unlike Colvette Colvin whose case involved an assault charge) Started the bus boycott which gave rise to significant figures such as Martin Luther King and his peaceful campaigns The Federal Court decided to get rid of integration on the buses Inspired a generation of black Americans to stand up for what they believed in Martin Luther King Brown vs Topeka Civil Rights Act of 1957 Little Rock

18. Martin Luther King Led the Bus Boycott along peaceful ideals – he organised a lot of the simple logistics during this time (such as the carpools). His devout Christian beliefs and unwavering faith won him many supporters and even though his house was fire bombed he continued to protest. However, despite his rise to prominence, in the following years, king was often just a visible figure – he did not organise any more successful Civil Rights events until the 1963

19. Brown vs. Topeka The first steps to Civil right legislature – the NAACP successfully took the Topeka Board of Education to court to desegregate the local school of Linda Brown However, this was not overly successful as there was no time scale put on the desegregation and many Southern states simply ignored the order

20. Little Rock High School 1957 Following on from Brown vs. Topeka, Little Rock (in Arkansas – the deep south) allowed 9 black children to enter. However, the Governor of Arkansas tried to stop them – bringing in the national guard to block their path. Eventually the president had to get involved and he got the National Guard to protect the students for the rest of the year It proved that the President would get involved when called upon and also showed people across the world the awful segregation of the USA as the TV cameras filmed every move

21. Civil Rights Act 1957 Established the US Commission on Civil Rights (it’s first act was to look racial discrimination in voting) All people have a right to vote Federal Government intervention was legalised All people could serve on a jury

22. Rosa Parks WAS significantRosa Parks WASN’T significant As secretary of the local NAACP, she gave them a legal case they could support as she simply refused to move seats (unlike Colvette Colvin whose case involved an assault charge) Started the bus boycott which gave rise to significant figures such as Martin Luther King and his peaceful campaigns The Federal Court decided to get rid of integration on the buses Inspired a generation of black Americans to stand up for what they believed in Martin Luther King Ran the bus boycott and became a significant figure – speeches and Peaceful Direct action seen as more important that Rosa Parks. Created the right atmosphere for people to follow. Brown vs Topeka First victory in Supreme Court for Civil Rights, desegregated schools. Used as a model for the NAACP in subsequent legal battles. Civil Rights Act of 1957 Aimed to end equality in voting. Showed that the US Government and President would step in to help civil rights – seen as an achievement of the early Civil Rights movement Little Rock US guard had to offer protection to black pupils attending previously white only schools. Again shows government willing to get involved