1. The Montgomery Bus Boycott
Lesson starter:
Write down what you know about Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

2. Today we will…
Understand the events that led to Rosa Parks’ arrest in Dec 1955
Examine why the bus boycott became a success for the Civil Rights movement

3. Who? Rosa Parks, 42 year old seamstress From Montgomery, Alabama
She had grown up in a segregated society
She was a Civil Rights Worker – worked for National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP)

4. What happened?
In 1943, Rosa had already experienced discrimination on Montgomery Buses
December 1955, she was told to give up her seat for a white person and refused
She was arrested
The NAACP decided to encourage Black Americans to boycott the city’s buses
James F Blake, bus driver

5. The NAACP handed out 35,000 leaflets urging people to boycott buses
5 Dec onwards – boycott starts
People walked, cycled and carpooled
Terrible weather
Lasted for 381 days
Hundreds of buses lay unused

6. Why was the boycott so important?
75% of bus users were Black – the bus company eventually had to give in and desegregated Montgomery Buses
The boycott lasted over a year – 381 days
It showed the financial power of Black people
It created publicity for the Civil Rights movement
It inspired people to stand up for their rights – after all, Rosa was just an ordinary woman
It gave the Civil Rights movement a leader – Martin Luther King who inspired the boycotters

7. Question
Explain why the Montgomery bus boycott was so important to the civil rights movement. (6 marks)

8. Video Clips Bus Boycott Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks funeral (click link at top right)