December 1955
During the Montgomery Bus Boycott (December 1955 – December 1956), white supremacists bomb the homes of Martin Luther King Jr. and E.D. Nixon, fire shotguns into buses, shoot Rosa Parks's carpool driver, bomb four Black churches and the homes of two ministers. The city arrests and fines 89 Black leaders under an anti-boycott law. The economic impact on the bus system is severe: the bus line loses approximately 30,000-40,000 daily fares. The boycott reveals that nonviolent resistance is met with organized violence.
On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, a trained NAACP activist and secretary of the Montgomery chapter, is arrested for refusing to yield her seat to a white passenger on a Montgomery city bus. Parks is chosen by the NAACP as an ideal plaintiff — she had long been active in civil rights, is dignified and well-respected. Her arrest triggers the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Parks is less spontaneous 'tired seamstress' than the mythology suggests; she is a deliberate activist who had attended the Highlander Folk School.
Events
- December 1, 1955Rosa Parks Arrested for Refusing to Yield Bus Seat in Montgomery
On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, a trained NAACP activist and secretary of the Montgomery chapter, is arrested for refusing to yield her seat to a white passenger on a Montgomery city bus. Parks is chosen by the NAACP as an ideal plaintiff — she had long been active in civil rights, is dignified and well-respected. Her arrest triggers the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Parks is less spontaneous 'tired seamstress' than the mythology suggests; she is a deliberate activist who had attended the Highlander Folk School.
- December 5, 1955Montgomery Bus Boycott: Bombings, Shootings, and Terror Against Boycotters
During the Montgomery Bus Boycott (December 1955 – December 1956), white supremacists bomb the homes of Martin Luther King Jr. and E.D. Nixon, fire shotguns into buses, shoot Rosa Parks's carpool driver, bomb four Black churches and the homes of two ministers. The city arrests and fines 89 Black leaders under an anti-boycott law. The economic impact on the bus system is severe: the bus line loses approximately 30,000-40,000 daily fares. The boycott reveals that nonviolent resistance is met with organized violence.
- December 5, 1955The Montgomery Bus Boycott
Sparked by Rosa Parks, a 381-day boycott launches Dr. King and mass nonviolent protest.