Bus Boycott

We discussed in class the strategies that leaders of the civil rights movement used during the bus boycott. It is interesting to think why it was that this boycott was so successful especially when the opposition was so uncooperative. I think there were a few prime reasons for its success: community structure and power of the community.

The organization structure was very significant because of how the black community functioned at the time. The midnight masses likely gave the movement a lot of power because when people began to get discouraged, they had the strength of the community and religion to motivate. The masses were very effective in keeping the energy up within the community. In addition, there was a lot of organization that went into this boycott. There is no way it would have been sustained for 11 months if it had not been for the way the carpools had been organized so that everyone could get to work. Ultimately, if the bus service was absolutely essential, it would not have worked because the boycotters would have lost their jobs. But since there were alternatives in place, they could sustain it for as long as they did. In addition, the fact that this boycott was something they felt they had control over. While there were old laws against boycotting, people could easily see that it was their money to spend, and the buses service they are paying for. As with any service, if they were not happy with the way the service is being run, they have the right not to spend their money on it and choose and alternative. There was a lot of freedom that came with boycotting a bus service as opposed to something mandatory such as taxes. Therefore, there was a lot more motivation for the participants.

Another reason that this boycott was so successful was because of the power that the community had not just on Montgomery, but also legally. Though blacks were a minority, two-thirds of the of the bus riders were black. Therefore, by not participating in the bus service, it caused a very significant monetary hit. In shear numbers we can see how it is easy how the boycott had such power. It was not the Montgomery busses that eventually brought change, it was the court decision to desegregate. This came from the Rosa Parks case that was used to challenge segregation laws. The legal power certainly did help in the application of nonviolence during the bus boycott.