The Birth of the Montgomery Bus Baycott, Essay Example

Why did Jo Ann Robinson write this book?

In the book, Robinson assumes the role of a narrator who, like nineteenth-century narrative authors, means her disclosure to be understood as sociopolitical commentary. Her words aim to clarify for the reader a revised history in light a flawed one. The writer of the slave narrative aims to make this ‘correction’ in a substantiating way, making her testimonial public and permanent. Robinson, as well, counters the reader who questions her intent as she says that she has chosen to record the facts of the Montgomery Bus Boycott for several reasons. The first is general so that the world is aware of how the black people of America had been cast as stereotypes and have been proven to be a race of complacent, lazy, and good-for nothing race that has no worth or value in the society. She says that she has attempted to relate the truth in and show the reader why fifty thousand black citizens walked off city transit lines.

Briefly identify/describe the WPC. How did the organization operate in the years before the boycott?

The Women’s Political Council (WPC) was an organization, which was an inevitable part of the struggle of the African-American Civil Rights Movement. WPC was the new spirit in the black community and was the result of much hard work. Robinson was the president of the Women’s Political Council (WPC), an organization with over 200 members representing the professional fields of education, social work, and nursing. For over a year, her organization had tracked the deteriorating situation on the city buses. Thus, WPC was the first group to officially proclaim a boycott of the bus atrocities during the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

The WPC’s was first formed in 1946 as a civic organization for the African American professional women in the Montgomery city of Alabama. The first president Mary Fair Burks in her pursuits tried to help the Blacks in their rights to vote

What specific event made Jo Ann Robinson become involved in the WPC and the boycott?

In 1949, Robinson was attacked verbally by a bus driver. She felt the insult and could not digest the grunt and decided that initiatives should be taken to change the situation. In late 1950, she succeeded Burks as president of the WPC and helped to focus the attention of WPC on efforts to reduce and report on bus abuses.

How did the boycott begin? What was Jo Ann Robinson’s role? What role did Dr. Trenholm play in the boycott?

In May 1954, she and other members of the WPC had met with the mayor and the city commissioners to complain about the mistreatment of black passengers and offer solutions to the bus drivers’ most despised practices. That meeting had led to few improvements so members of the WPC decided that a boycott should be organized when “the time was ripe and the people were ready.”  When Robinson heard of Parks’s arrest, she contacted Gray and informed him that it was time. She then phoned John Cannon, chair of the Business Department at Alabama State, enlisting his help to get access to the university’s mimeograph equipment. Robinson stayed awake the entire night mimeographing 35,000 handbills at Alabama State College. The handbills contained the information that there was another case in which a black woman had been arrested and thrown in jail because she refused to oblige a white woman by offering her seat. It was the second time since Claudette Colvin that a Negro woman had been arrested on such grounds. She appealed to every Negro to stay off the buses on Monday in lieu of the protest.

From the very beginning Trenholm and his wife were deeply involved in the boycott from behind the scenes. In choosing to support the boycott they were in a vicarious situation – he was a public employee and could have been easily fired at the whims of the Governor and the State board of Education. Alabama state could have been closed down by the then all white state legislator if it were known that Alabama’s to administrator supported the bus boycott. Yet, he took part in many negotiations with the city seeking to find a resolution to the boycott once it got underway.

What role did the media play in the boycott? In what ways were they a help or hindrance to the African-American community?

The media played its role pointing out the brutal atrocities committed out its role in the civil rights movement winning sympathy and support for the black people. Moreover media gave the strength to the movement by uniting the black forces to launch a combined struugle against racial discrimination.

What was the MIA? Why was it organized?

E.D Nixon of the NAACP and Jo Ann Robinson of the Women’s League  had set up the MIA (Montgomery Improvement Association), which organized large scale protests and also lead the boycott of the buses. They also continued peaceful talks, protests and negotiations despite abuse and harassment form the white racists. MIA as an organization was the platform for expressing popular public opinion that inspired black people to unite and fight a joint struggle.

Describe the initial negotiations – what were some of the proposals? Did the African-American community propose complete integration?
Martin Luther King Jr was designated as the head of the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA). King and the black community decided to boycott the Montgomery city transportation. MIA also put forward a proposal before the city transit for fixing a dividing line in all buses. It implied that blacks and whites should get seated in separate sections. Under any case, even if a white person did not get a seat, no one from the black section would have to vacate his seat.

Describe the “MIA Transportation System”? How important was it?

When MIA proposals were rejected and taxes were levied on taxi drivers, to thwart the process of boycott – MIA with the help of the entire black community developed an alternative transportation network. The transit route was connected by about eighty to ninety pick-up and dispatch stations all over Montgomery. Initially, this arrangement depended on labor and rented, part-time automobiles donated to the MIA. But soon the system MIA hired drivers, bought vehicles, and established an effective transportation framework.

It was very important in the sense that the white racists understood that it would be a mistake to undermine black unity and determination. It also lay the foundation of establishing independence from white power structure.

What was the reaction of the white community to the boycott?

In her account of early attempts at management and mediation, Robinson seems to imply that the white negotiators apparently waited for the boycotters to become frustrated, perhaps even bored, with their campaign. Robinson accounts of minor concessions, such as allowing black passengers to at least temporarily occupy seats reserved for whites until those patrons boarded the buses.

What was the “get tough” policy? What were its consequences?

When the white officials realized that it was impossible to break down the morale of the black community, and that the bus company will eventually run out of business- they adopted “get tough” policy. In this policy police and administration used coercive and unscrupulous means to deter people from defying the system. Police harassed the carpool drivers, while King was arrested due to a false speeding charge. His house as well as Nixon’s home was also bombed.

What happened on January 30, 1956? How is it significant?
On January 30, MIA leaders decided to take the decision of constitutionally challenging their demand of bus segregation. They were no longer interested in its reform but propounded its abolition. Thus attorney Fred Gray filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of four female plaintiffs: Mary Louise Smith, Claudette Colvin, Aurelia Browder, and Susan McDonald.

Meanwhile, the leaders of MIA were falsely accused and convicted which called in negative national publicity and throttled support and fund flow for the cause.