Young Activists' Role In The Bus Boycott

The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement, and young people played a crucial role in this historic event. On March 2, 1955, Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old student, defied bus segregation laws and was forcibly removed from a Montgomery bus. Nine months later, Rosa Parks, inspired by Colvin's courage, made a similar stand, refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger. The Women's Political Council (WPC), a group of Black women, including young activists, sprang into action, circulating flyers and mobilizing the community for a boycott. Jo Ann Robinson, a schoolteacher, played a pivotal role in organizing the protest, and young ministers like Martin Luther King Jr. emerged as leaders, galvanizing the movement with powerful oratory and a commitment to nonviolent resistance. The boycott lasted for over a year, and the tireless efforts of young people were instrumental in its success, demonstrating their unwavering dedication to challenging racial segregation and shaping the course of history.

The Women's Political Council (WPC)

In the early 1950s, the WPC, under the leadership of Jo Ann Robinson, another English professor at Alabama State, met regularly with city officials to discuss the mistreatment of African American bus riders. In 1953, Robinson and other African American leaders in the community presented three complaints to this committee:

• African American patrons were forced to stand by empty white-only seats.
• There were fewer stops in African American neighbourhoods than in white neighbourhoods.
• African American patrons were expected to pay fares at the front of the bus, then exit the bus and re-enter at the rear to take their seats.

The meeting with city officials failed to generate change, but Robinson persisted. In March 1954, officials with the bus company agreed to increase the number of bus stops in African American neighbourhoods. However, community frustration continued to grow. In May 1954, Robinson wrote a letter to Mayor W.A. Gayle politely reiterating the problem and indicating that support for a boycott of city buses was increasing.

In March 1955, when 15-year-old African American Claudette Colvin was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a city bus, the WPC helped to arrange further meetings among black leaders, the bus company, and city officials. The council also made arrangements for a boycott. However, implementation of the plans was postponed until council members could ensure widespread community support. They continued to meet with officials throughout 1955.

In December 1955, following the arrest of African American civil rights activist Rosa Parks, who committed the same offence as Colvin, Robinson and the WPC decided to act. By this time, the WPC had grown to three chapters and nearly 300 members. Robinson drafted flyers calling for a boycott on Monday, 5 December—the day of Parks’ trial. With the help of an Alabama State faculty member and two students, Robinson mimeographed and distributed 50,000 of the flyers throughout the city.

The WPC engaged in the daily activities of the boycott, driving in the carpools, organising mass meetings, and communicating with protesters. They also held all four paid staff positions of the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA), the organisation established to manage the boycott. Despite their critical involvement, the women of the WPC did not become widely known as leaders of the boycott.

With the desegregation of city buses and the boycott’s end in December 1956, the WPC continued to operate with increased efforts to foster activism among young African American women. However, by 1960, due to increased racial tensions and investigations into those involved in the boycott, key members of the council, including Burks and Robinson, resigned their college teaching positions and left Montgomery.

The Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA)

The MIA's initial demands were for first-come, first-served seating, with African Americans starting in the rear and white passengers beginning in the front of the bus. They also asked that African American bus drivers be hired for routes primarily made up of African American riders. The MIA established a carpool for African Americans, with over 200 people volunteering their cars and roughly 100 pickup stations operating within the city. The MIA held mass gatherings at various African American churches, where donations were collected and members heard news about the success of the boycott.

The MIA also filed a federal lawsuit against bus segregation, which was ultimately successful. On June 5, 1956, a federal district court declared segregated seating on buses to be unconstitutional, and in November 1956, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld that ruling. The boycott ended on December 20, 1956, after 381 days. The MIA's tactics of combining mass nonviolent protest with Christian ethics became a model for challenging segregation in the South.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

Rosa Parks, a seamstress and secretary for the Montgomery chapter of the NAACP, was a respected civil rights activist and a central figure in the boycott. Twelve years before her history-making arrest, Parks had already experienced racial discrimination on Montgomery's buses. In 1943, she was made to pay her fare at the front of a bus and then exit and re-enter through the back door, as required by Jim Crow laws. The driver, James F. Blake, drove away before she could re-board. This incident led Parks to vow never again to ride a bus driven by Blake. As a member of the NAACP, Parks was also an investigator assigned to cases of sexual assault, and in 1945, she investigated the gang rape of Recy Taylor, helping to mobilize nationwide support and forming the Alabama Committee for Equal Justice for Mrs. Recy Taylor. This mobilization laid the groundwork for the success of the Montgomery Bus Boycott a decade later.

In addition to Parks, other NAACP members were actively involved in the boycott. E.D. Nixon, past leader of the Montgomery chapter of the NAACP, played a crucial role. After securing bail for Parks, Nixon began calling local black leaders, including Ralph Abernathy and Martin Luther King Jr., to organize a planning meeting. Nixon intended for Parks' arrest to be a test case to challenge segregation on the city's buses. He recognized the importance of finding the right person to galvanize the black community into action, and he believed that Parks, with her impeccable character and standing in the community, was the ideal candidate. On December 4, 1955, Nixon organized a meeting at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, where local black leaders formed the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) to spearhead the boycott and negotiate with the bus company.

The MIA elected Martin Luther King Jr., a young and charismatic preacher, as its president. Under his leadership, the boycott was a resounding success, with over 70% of the city's bus patrons, who were predominantly African American, participating. The MIA established a carpool system, with volunteers offering their cars and pickup stations set up throughout the city. The MIA also held mass gatherings at black churches to collect donations and update the community on the boycott's progress.

Ultimately, the boycott resulted in a landmark legal challenge to segregation on public buses. Fred Gray, a member and lawyer of the MIA, organized a lawsuit against the city, arguing that the bus segregation laws violated the 14th Amendment's guarantee of equal protection under the law. This legal challenge, known as Browder v. Gayle, ended with a Supreme Court ruling that declared racial segregation on public buses unconstitutional.

The NAACP's involvement in the Montgomery Bus Boycott demonstrates its commitment to racial equality and its pivotal role in the civil rights movement. Through the dedication and courage of its members, the NAACP helped bring about significant change in the fight against racial injustice in the United States.

Young people's involvement in the NAACP Youth Council

The NAACP Youth Council was established in 1935 by executive secretary Walter White, who recognised the need for a distinct youth branch of the NAACP. At the time, young people were considered members of the main adult branch, but White observed that they had "a zeal and a zest and a fighting spirit which some of the older people in the Association [did] not have."

The Youth Council was initiated by Juanita Jackson, who was tasked by White with channelling the energy of young people into productivity. Jackson travelled across the country, primarily through the Southern states, recruiting students and organising them into chapters. Once these councils were in place, Jackson began to lead the students in educational seminars and protests against segregation.

The first meeting of the Youth Council took place from June 29 to July 4, 1936. During this historic gathering, the students outlined their objectives for the division, which included fighting for equal education and economic opportunities, fair civil rights, and protection from lynchings. These goals were fuelled by the passion and dedication of young people determined to change the society in which they lived.

The Youth Council consists of members between the ages of 19 and 25, with High School Chapters for those enrolled in high school or a comparable school, and Junior Youth Councils for those aged 13 and under. Older members have the option to join the local College Chapter, which includes individuals under the age of 25 and/or enrolled in college or university. Members who reach the age of 25 can transfer their membership to the adult branch.

The Youth Council is committed to informing young people about the challenges facing African Americans and other racial and ethnic minorities. They strive to advance the economic, educational, social, and political status of these communities, fostering harmonious cooperation and appreciation for their contributions to civilisation. The council also aims to cultivate intelligent, effective, and empowered youth leadership.

During the civil rights movement, the NAACP Youth Councils actively participated in demonstrations, protests, sit-ins, and seminars to promote the concept of equality and a fair society across the United States. They played a pivotal role in pushing for integrated schools and better education for black students, with notable achievements such as Autherine Lucy's integration of Alabama University and the accomplishments of the Little Rock Nine.

The Youth Councils were also instrumental in creating better job opportunities for black Americans. Through picketing and boycotting stores, they pressured local employers to change their hiring policies, leading to increased employment opportunities for black citizens.

Today, the NAACP Youth & College Division comprises more than 25,000 young people under the age of 25, with over 600 youth councils, high school chapters, and college chapters. It is one of the largest organised groups of young people within any secular organisation in the country. The division continues to serve as a training ground for future leaders, fostering respect for democracy and a commitment to community.

The MIA's carpool system

The Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) coordinated the boycott, and its president, Martin Luther King, Jr., became a prominent civil rights leader as international attention focused on Montgomery. The MIA established a carpool for African Americans, with over 200 people volunteering their cars and roughly 100 pickup stations operating within the city. The MIA held mass gatherings at various African American churches, where donations were collected and members heard news about the success of the boycott.

The carpool system was advised by T.J. Jemison, who had organized a similar system during the 1953 Baton Rouge bus boycott. The MIA developed an intricate carpool system of about 300 cars. In addition, the Alabama Council for Human Relations organized meetings between the MIA and city officials, but no agreements were reached.

The boycott was so successful that it lasted for 381 days, from December 5, 1955, to December 20, 1956. During this time, the MIA's carpool system played a crucial role in ensuring that African Americans in Montgomery could get to work and other destinations without relying on the segregated bus system. The success of the MIA's carpool system demonstrated the power of grassroots organizing and the effectiveness of nonviolent mass protest in challenging racial segregation.

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