THE DIFFERENT FORMS OF CIVIL SOCIETY PROTEST IN THE USA DURING THE 1960S:
BACKGROUND - ROSA PARKS AND MONTGOMERY BUS BOYCOTT
• In 1955 Rosa Parks, a civil rights activist, refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a bus,
ignoring the segregation laws of the time.
• She was arrested and convicted of breaking segregation
• In response, the Montgomery Improvement Association, under the leadership of Martin Luther King,
organized a boycott of the city’s bus service in 1956.
• The boycott lasted a year with people either walking to work or sharing lifts.
• White racists tried to crush the boycotts by setting churches in black communities on fire
Result:
• The Bus company lost about 65% of its profits
• In December 1956, the Supreme Court ruled that segregation on buses was illegal and buses were
desegregated the next
• The bus boycott revealed the power African Americans could have if they joined together
SIT-INS:
• In January 1960, a group of 4 students sat down at a ‘whites only’ lunch counter in Greensboro
• They were abused and attacked but they refused to move until they were served
• Their action inspired others and the sit-ins spread to other Southern states and lasted for more than a
year.
• Students also organized kneel-ins at churches, read-ins at public libraries, play-ins at city parks
Result:
• The sit-ins showed that mass non-violent protest could be successful and brought national media
attention to the civil rights movement
• In the summer of 1961 businesses in Greensboro desegregated
• A few weeks later, six lunch counters in Nashville changed their policy on segregation and
desegregated their counters and started to serve anyone regardless of their colour. Students
from across the country became actively involved in the CRM
FREEDOM RIDES:
• Although segregation on buses had been ruled unconstitutional, segregation was still practiced in the
Southern states
• The Freedom Riders were organized In 1961 by the SNCC and CORE
• Groups of white and black American civil rights activists travelled together across state lines from the
North to the South to protest segregation on buses and at bus terminals
• Freedom Riders also tried to use “whites-only” restrooms and lunch counters at bus stations in
Alabama, South Carolina and other Southern states.
• Many of the Riders were savagely attacked by groups of angry whites, who also set fire to buses.
• The protests spread to train stations and airports.
Result:
• They received a great deal of publicity, making Americans aware of segregation on public transport
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BACKGROUND - ROSA PARKS AND MONTGOMERY BUS BOYCOTT
• In 1955 Rosa Parks, a civil rights activist, refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a bus,
ignoring the segregation laws of the time.
• She was arrested and convicted of breaking segregation
• In response, the Montgomery Improvement Association, under the leadership of Martin Luther King,
organized a boycott of the city’s bus service in 1956.
• The boycott lasted a year with people either walking to work or sharing lifts.
• White racists tried to crush the boycotts by setting churches in black communities on fire
Result:
• The Bus company lost about 65% of its profits
• In December 1956, the Supreme Court ruled that segregation on buses was illegal and buses were
desegregated the next
• The bus boycott revealed the power African Americans could have if they joined together
SIT-INS:
• In January 1960, a group of 4 students sat down at a ‘whites only’ lunch counter in Greensboro
• They were abused and attacked but they refused to move until they were served
• Their action inspired others and the sit-ins spread to other Southern states and lasted for more than a
year.
• Students also organized kneel-ins at churches, read-ins at public libraries, play-ins at city parks
Result:
• The sit-ins showed that mass non-violent protest could be successful and brought national media
attention to the civil rights movement
• In the summer of 1961 businesses in Greensboro desegregated
• A few weeks later, six lunch counters in Nashville changed their policy on segregation and
desegregated their counters and started to serve anyone regardless of their colour. Students
from across the country became actively involved in the CRM
FREEDOM RIDES:
• Although segregation on buses had been ruled unconstitutional, segregation was still practiced in the
Southern states
• The Freedom Riders were organized In 1961 by the SNCC and CORE
• Groups of white and black American civil rights activists travelled together across state lines from the
North to the South to protest segregation on buses and at bus terminals
• Freedom Riders also tried to use “whites-only” restrooms and lunch counters at bus stations in
Alabama, South Carolina and other Southern states.
• Many of the Riders were savagely attacked by groups of angry whites, who also set fire to buses.
• The protests spread to train stations and airports.
Result:
• They received a great deal of publicity, making Americans aware of segregation on public transport
1
