Montgomery Bus Boycott

What was Montgomery known as?

the ‘Cradle of Confederacy’

What was Rosa Park’s job?

Secretary for the Montgomery branch of the NAACP

Who was the president of the Alabam State branch of the NAACP?

E.D. Nixon

Who was the president of the Women’s political council?

Jo Ann Robinson

Who was responsible for the planning of the Rosa Parks plan to not give up her seat?

E.D. Nixon and Jo Ann Robinson

What was MLK’s first speech?

The keynote speech

Why was MLK asked to deliver the keynote speech?

His high education and eloquency of speech

Where was the start of the Bus Boycott?

Montgomery, Alabama

When was the beginning of the Bus Boycott?

December 1st 1955

Give examples of the extent segregation in Montgomery

seperate taxis, water fountains, and obviously buses

Where did the whites sit in the bus?

At the front

Where did the blacks sit in the bus?

at the back

If more white people got on the bus what were black people forced to do?

Give up their seat

What did rosa parks say to the white man who asked for her seat

“I shouldn’t think I have to stand up”

How long was the bus boycott meant to last?

1 day

How long did it take to organise 40 000 people to do the boycott?

2 days

Who distributed the boycott notices?

Jo Ann Robinson and the Women’s Political council

How did they spread awareness about the bus boycott?

Through notices put up around the city

How many notices were printed?

35,000 copies

Where did everyone meet after the first day of the Bus boycott?

Holt Street Baptist Church

What was the voting tally to continue the boycott?

Unanimous

How old was MLK when he gave the keynote speech?

26

Who headed the Montgomery Improvement association (MIA) and the Bus Boycott?

MLK

How long did MLK have to prepare the speech?

20 minutes

What did MLK preach at the keynote speech?

Justice, Freedom, and Equality

What did MLK say their weapon was at the keynote speech?

Peaceful Protest

What did MLK claim the bus Boycott was inherently supported by?

The supreme court, the consitution of the USA, and God

What was the fraction of black people that travelled on buses before the boycott?

2/3

What system was devised to transport black people around without using buses?

A carpool system

How did the carpool system work?

Black people volunteered cars and the times they were free. People would call in and say their location, a car would then be sent to them.

Giva examples of violence used to attack the boycott?

Shots fired at buses, bomb thrown at MLK’s and E.D. Nixon’s home

How does MLK feel about the violence towards him

“this is a great cause […] that we are comfronted with, and that the consequences for my personal life are not particularly important, it is the triumph of the cause I am concerned about”

What was considered the backbone of the boycott?

The nightly meetings in the church

What is the name of MLK’s wife?

Coretta Scott King

Who was the main demographic attending the mass meetings in the church?

Cooks, maids, … whoever took the bus the most

Who was the first person to speek at the mass meetings?

Dr. Abernathy

What could Dr. Abernathy do?

Make them laugh or cry

What was MLK’s style of speech

formal and thoughtful

What did MLK mostly preach throughout his life?

Love, the most you can make out of your enemy is a friend

Who was the Senator of Mississippi?

James Eastland

Which association went against the boycott?

The White Citizens Council

What did the White Citizens council do against the boycott?

Hold rallies and targeted black and white people who supported the boycott

Why didn’t white people want to accept segregation

They didn’t want to change or dishonour their ancestors who fought against integration

What did the White Citizens Council declare the boycott to be?

Unconstitutional

How did the white officials respond to the pressure of the White Citizens council declaration of the boycott being unlawful?

They incarcerated 90 black leaders under an old anti-boycott law

How did the arrest of 90 black leaders under the anti-boycott law backfire?

It brought press attention

How far did some boycotters walk?

over 8 miles a day

Who would sometimes pick up black people walking on the side of the road to avoid the buses?

White ladies

Who in particular would the white ladies pick up?

Their maids

Which police commissioner told black people to continue to obey all segregation laws in Alabama

Clyde Seller

What southern cities desegrated buses?

Richmond - virginia, little rock - arkansas, dallas - texas

Where else did a bus boycott start

Tallahassee, Florida

What did the combined boycotts achieve

The shutting down of bus companies

What association held highly visible rallies in Montgomery?

The KKK

When did the Supreme court rule that the Bus Boycott was unconstitutional?

November 13th 1956

What did MLK suggest the next steps were after the ruling of the supreme court?

That they should stop the bus boycott and return to the buses in a non-segregated state

What was the voting tallies of the ending of the bus boycott and the return to buses in an unsegregated fashion?

Unanimous, all stood

How long did the Bus Boycott last?

11 months

What was Rosa Parks reasoning for joinging the bus boycott

She was protesting the lynching of Emmett Till