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Montgomery Bus Boycott

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How significant was the Montgomery Bus Boycott in advancing the civil rights movement?
The Montgomery bus boycott of December 1955 influenced a continuous boycott that inspired many individuals and groups to stand up against public transport segregation in order to quicken the pace, and also the likelihood of bus boycotts having a strong impact on the advancement of the civil rights movement. Rosa Parks was the main culprit behind the boycott as it was her decision to refuse to move seats after requested by the driver several times. However, as she evidently declined, it created an uproar of boycotts, and others began to see how blatant discrimination and racism against black Americans was becoming too extreme, and in some cases unnecessary. Following this, the appointment of Martin Luther King, Jr. to be the head of the Montgomery Improvement Association helped the boycott last for almost an entire year; the success shown by the supreme court order to desegregate buses.
The Montgomery bus boycott is a very significant piece of history regarding the advancement the civil rights movement, and rightly so because it acted as the paving stone for further boycotts and other methods of protest, such as sit-ins and freedom rides. As the boycott was very successful, and raised a lot of public awareness surrounding the reality of racism and segregation; It encouraged other people (black and white) to stand up for what they believe in, and fight against the increased levels of segregation and racism towards black people.
The boycott had a lot of short term significance, not only did it encourage more protest, it also provided a lot of encouragement for non-violent protesting. The fact people were willing to break laws they believed to be unjust or immoral, shows the passion and determination a lot of Americans had to overturn federal laws. Furthermore, peaceful protesting meant it was difficult for the law enforcers to control crowds; the shear number of participants meant they could overpower the numbers of serviceman and continue to protest; eventually achieving some success. Additionally, the boycott could be considered to be the main reason for Martin Luther King, Jr. finding the spotlight because his appointment as the president of the MIA came from the organised boycott in Montgomery. Therefore, some would proclaim the Montgomery bus boycott was very important not only in the advancement of civil rights in America, but in the development of Martin Luther King, Jr. In the the movement also.

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