Author's Purpose in 'The Montgomery Bus Boycott'

The Montgomery Bus Boycott

The Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955-1956 was one of the most significant events of the civil rights movement in the United States. Though it might have seemed like a fruitless endeavor to some when it began on December 1, 1955, the boycott was able to break segregation laws throughout Alabama.

The true spark of the boycott came unintentionally from Rosa Parks, now known as the mother of the civil rights movement. As stipulated by a Montgomery city ordinance, African American bus riders were required to sit in the back of the bus. In addition, they were required to give up their seats to white riders if the white seats were taken. Ms. Parks, an African American seamstress born in 1913, obeyed the law and sat in the back of the bus. However, when a white man told her to give up her seat, she refused. The mere refusal was enough to get her arrested.

It is popular belief that Parks's civil disobedience was merely the result of exhaustion. However, it is not widely known that plans were underway by others to soon challenge the Montgomery bus laws-and that Parks was well aware of this. Ms. Parks had belonged to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1944. As a member of the Montgomery chapter, she knew that some civil rights leaders had been planning action to overturn the bus segregation laws for some time. Apparently, Ms. Parks's action was impulsive, although it hastened the battle for equality in Montgomery.

As a result of Ms. Parks's arrest, the NAACP and other activists staged the now-famous bus boycott. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. began organizing the boycott immediately, and soon fliers were being sent around Montgomery. His call to action resulted in African Americans walking or carpooling rather than paying the fares of the Montgomery bus system. Since 70 percent of the city's bus ridership was made up of African Americans, the bus system was hit hard financially.

Prompted by the activities in Montgomery, the United States Supreme Court put an end to the bus segregation laws. On November 13, 1956, it struck down the laws in not only Montgomery but all of Alabama, stating that these laws violated the Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution. On December 20, 1956, the Montgomery buses were finally desegregated. The boycott had lasted 381 days.

It was very fitting that Ms. Parks would be one of the first African Americans to ride on the newly desegregated buses and that Dr. King would go on to win further victories for the civil rights movement.

Select the correct answer.

What is the author's purpose for writing this text?

A. to argue that Rosa Parks has been undervalued

B. to celebrate the achievements of Rosa Parks and Dr. King

C. to explain the origins and the outcome of the Montgomery bus boycott

D. to share lesser known details about Rosa Parks during the bus boycott