A History of the Civil Rights Movement

3

The Montgomery Bus Boycott

T he Brown v. Board of Education decision did not put an end to seg regation in other public areas. There were still whites-only restau rants, movie theaters, and restrooms. Many states and cities had laws that punished businesses that did not provide separate facilities for black and white customers. Some state laws prohibited interracial mar riages. Others imposed segregation practices in public transportation. In Montgomery, Alabama, city law required passengers on buses to be segregated. Whites took seats in the front rows. African Americans had to take seats in the back of the bus. If the bus became full, all the blacks in the row nearest the white section had to get up from their seats. This would create a new row for white passengers. If there were no seats available for them, African American riders were supposed to stand. In addition, black passengers often had to board the bus in the front door to pay the fare. But then they had to exit the bus and reenter using the rear door. NAACP lawyers continued to challenge segregation in the courts. But in the 1950s, African Americans also used a tactic called civil disobedience to draw attention to the civil rights cause. TAKING A STAND—SEATED On March 2, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, police officers arrested 15-