The civil rights movement was at its peak from the 1950s to the 1960s (Tuck, para 2). It was a struggle that took place in America which demanded equality between the white and black people living in America at the time. Most of the rights that were being fought for were based on race. The movement used various means to get their message across which were both violent and non violent. The non violent means were the most common and they proved to be more effective. This included protests, boycotts and marches. One of the most effective non violent approaches was the Montgomery Bus boycott that took place between1955 and 1956. The boycott was initiated by Mrs. Rosa Parks, 42, when she refused to move after being given the order by James F. Blake who was the bus driver. She was arrested for breaking the law and was later charged 10 fine (Encyclopaedia of Alabama, para 3).
Her arrest was regarded as an opportunity to stage the protests against the segregation laws by the leaders of various civil movements. This led to the boycott that lasted for 381 days till 20th December 1956 when the ruling in favor of the boycott took effect. The boycott was seen as a successful non violent weapon that helped the people gain their dignity and destiny. The Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 was seen as the wedge that divided the nation regarding the right of a citizen. This paper discusses the different perspectives of the black and white people regarding the boycott and the civil rights movement. While both blacks and whites believed they were just in their causes, the blacks focused on oppression while the whites defended their status quo.
Black and White Perspectives
The Montgomery bus boycott played a significant role in the civil rights movement in the 1950s since it was able to catch the attention of the whole nation and it made people aware of the discrimination that existed between blacks and whites (Koeller, para 4). It set the tone for the other movements, especially the civil rights movement and proved to the people that non violent protests are as effective as the violent methods. The blacks were able to fight for their rights, freedom and equality after the boycott and they succeeded. There are various rights that they were fighting for which were being disapproved by the whites. The white people had a different perspective to the rights and the equality that the blacks were fighting for while the blacks viewed the treatment as oppression. These perspectives were based on the different discriminations that existed in the country at the time.
Segregation laws
The segregation laws especially in the buses were set to differentiate seating areas for the blacks and the whites. They did not allow for the whites and the blacks to interact. The segregation law that was followed in the buses ensured that the blacks sat at the back while the whites sat in the front of the bus. The blacks had to stand even though the bus was not full and had to give up their seats when the white section of the bus was fully occupied. This was the segregation law that was violated by Mrs. Rosa Parks and led to the Montgomery Bus boycott (Encyclopaedia of Alabama, para 1).
The whites were viewing it as their rights to be given the privilege of seating in the bus while the blacks stood. The law made sure that the blacks did not sit while the whites stood. The blacks were also not allowed to sit on the same line as the whites. The whites were reluctant to allow the blacks get their way during the boycott and stuck to their decision not to allow the blacks to have that right. The blacks remained steadfast in the quest for this right which led the boycott to last for over a year. Various attempts by the authorities to harass the blacks to disrupt the boycott were in vain. They got other means to get them to work and they even carpooled and united in forming organizations and in the churches to buy cars for transport. They finally got the segregation laws abolished in 1956 (Encyclopaedia of Alabama, para 4).
Access to Public Areas
In the 1960s the blacks were not allowed to access the same public areas that the whites were visiting. They were segregated from some of the private and public facilities that were viewed for the white people. These areas included restaurants, bathroom areas and even drinking from the same fountains. The blacks were fighting to be allowed to access such areas that they were not allowed to visit. The whites were reluctant to allow the blacks to access such areas as they regarded them as inferior. The whites considered themselves to be superior and they did not want to mix with the whites.
Right to education
Another area that the whites had differing perspectives with those of the blacks was in the right to education. The whites had their own schools and they did not admit black children. The blacks were forced to take their children to schools that were far off even though there were schools that were nearby that taught the same system. These schools were specifically for the white children. The white children were taught that they were superior to the black children. The reason for the whites to segregate education was that they were preparing the black children for the real experience that existed outside the schools and in their adult life. They also argued that the system was not harmful towards the black children since there were some black people who had achieved after schooling in the black schools. A certain case, Plessy V. Ferguson had allowed for separate but equal schooling systems for the black and white children. But in another case the Supreme Court overruled that ruling. In Brown v Board of Education, the Supreme Court made a ruling that made the permissive and mandatory segregation in the schools unconstitutional in 21 states (Rountree, pp 23). This among the blacks was considered to be a giant step towards the complete elimination of segregation in the public schools.
Right to vote
The blacks were not allowed to vote in the 1960s and they were fighting towards getting this vote. Without this vote, they argued that they did not have a power to design their future or their destiny. The whites used all sorts of excuses so that the blacks were not allowed to register as voters. They set up rules and measures that made it difficult for the blacks to register for voting. They required that the blacks pass a test and pay a certain tax that was referred to as poll tax so that they could register and vote. The whites knew if the blacks were allowed to vote, they would be able to change the people who govern them and the rules that governed them. The black people chosen in government would then help more black people register, so that they can vote for them to remain in government. This would lead to a revolution that the whites were not ready for. President John F. Kennedy was very supportive of the blacks and tried to get more blacks registered for voting by supporting students to help the blacks register.
Right to proper housing
The right to proper housing was one of the issues in the 1960s that caused a difference in perspectives between the whites and the blacks. The blacks at that time were living in the poor areas of America while the whites were living in the rich and well developed areas. On the same note, the whites could not sell nice houses or homes to the blacks. They made sure that the blacks could not get access to the homes that were in the nice neighborhoods which had been segregated to the whites. Hence the blacks were stuck living in the poor areas. A Civil Rights Commission in 1960 reported that 57 of the non white houses were below standard (Pohlmann and Whisenhunt, pp 199). The blacks used the civil rights movement to fight for equality in housing and were seeking the same treatment from the banks, realtors and white homeowners to allow them buy nicer homes. President F. Kennedy made an executive order 11063, to allow the blacks get better houses and homes (Pohlmann and Whisenhunt, pp 199).
Right to join the military
The blacks had for long helped their masters and their employers defend their property in the Civil War and other wars such as the World War, the Vietnam and the Korean War, yet they were continually being treated unfairly and without respect. As the men went fighting, their women, daughters, mothers and sisters were being oppressed back at home. The blacks were fighting for equal treatment in the armed forces without basis on the race or color or their national origin. This was one of the achievements that the whites were responsible for initiating for the blacks. They eventually succeeded when President Truman made an order announcing that there should be equal treatment in the military without basis on the race, color, religion or national origin. This led to an increase in the number of blacks that were enlisted in the Air force and the Marines from 5-9 and 2-8 respectively, between the years 1949 and 1962 (Teelucksingh, para 35).
Prior to the Montgomery Bus boycott and the civil rights movement, the whites had denied the blacks their rights based on their own perspectives that made them maintain their status quo. On the other hand, the blacks were viewing the treatment as discrimination and they felt that the whites were oppressing them. They then decided to start fighting for equal treatment and avoid being treated as second rate citizens. The Montgomery Bus boycott and its success set the tone for the movements that led to the blacks getting equal treatment. The blacks finally succeeded when the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which was started off by President F. Kennedy, became law. The Act was a way forward for the blacks to start getting equal treatment like that of the whites.
Her arrest was regarded as an opportunity to stage the protests against the segregation laws by the leaders of various civil movements. This led to the boycott that lasted for 381 days till 20th December 1956 when the ruling in favor of the boycott took effect. The boycott was seen as a successful non violent weapon that helped the people gain their dignity and destiny. The Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 was seen as the wedge that divided the nation regarding the right of a citizen. This paper discusses the different perspectives of the black and white people regarding the boycott and the civil rights movement. While both blacks and whites believed they were just in their causes, the blacks focused on oppression while the whites defended their status quo.
Black and White Perspectives
The Montgomery bus boycott played a significant role in the civil rights movement in the 1950s since it was able to catch the attention of the whole nation and it made people aware of the discrimination that existed between blacks and whites (Koeller, para 4). It set the tone for the other movements, especially the civil rights movement and proved to the people that non violent protests are as effective as the violent methods. The blacks were able to fight for their rights, freedom and equality after the boycott and they succeeded. There are various rights that they were fighting for which were being disapproved by the whites. The white people had a different perspective to the rights and the equality that the blacks were fighting for while the blacks viewed the treatment as oppression. These perspectives were based on the different discriminations that existed in the country at the time.
Segregation laws
The segregation laws especially in the buses were set to differentiate seating areas for the blacks and the whites. They did not allow for the whites and the blacks to interact. The segregation law that was followed in the buses ensured that the blacks sat at the back while the whites sat in the front of the bus. The blacks had to stand even though the bus was not full and had to give up their seats when the white section of the bus was fully occupied. This was the segregation law that was violated by Mrs. Rosa Parks and led to the Montgomery Bus boycott (Encyclopaedia of Alabama, para 1).
The whites were viewing it as their rights to be given the privilege of seating in the bus while the blacks stood. The law made sure that the blacks did not sit while the whites stood. The blacks were also not allowed to sit on the same line as the whites. The whites were reluctant to allow the blacks get their way during the boycott and stuck to their decision not to allow the blacks to have that right. The blacks remained steadfast in the quest for this right which led the boycott to last for over a year. Various attempts by the authorities to harass the blacks to disrupt the boycott were in vain. They got other means to get them to work and they even carpooled and united in forming organizations and in the churches to buy cars for transport. They finally got the segregation laws abolished in 1956 (Encyclopaedia of Alabama, para 4).
Access to Public Areas
In the 1960s the blacks were not allowed to access the same public areas that the whites were visiting. They were segregated from some of the private and public facilities that were viewed for the white people. These areas included restaurants, bathroom areas and even drinking from the same fountains. The blacks were fighting to be allowed to access such areas that they were not allowed to visit. The whites were reluctant to allow the blacks to access such areas as they regarded them as inferior. The whites considered themselves to be superior and they did not want to mix with the whites.
Right to education
Another area that the whites had differing perspectives with those of the blacks was in the right to education. The whites had their own schools and they did not admit black children. The blacks were forced to take their children to schools that were far off even though there were schools that were nearby that taught the same system. These schools were specifically for the white children. The white children were taught that they were superior to the black children. The reason for the whites to segregate education was that they were preparing the black children for the real experience that existed outside the schools and in their adult life. They also argued that the system was not harmful towards the black children since there were some black people who had achieved after schooling in the black schools. A certain case, Plessy V. Ferguson had allowed for separate but equal schooling systems for the black and white children. But in another case the Supreme Court overruled that ruling. In Brown v Board of Education, the Supreme Court made a ruling that made the permissive and mandatory segregation in the schools unconstitutional in 21 states (Rountree, pp 23). This among the blacks was considered to be a giant step towards the complete elimination of segregation in the public schools.
Right to vote
The blacks were not allowed to vote in the 1960s and they were fighting towards getting this vote. Without this vote, they argued that they did not have a power to design their future or their destiny. The whites used all sorts of excuses so that the blacks were not allowed to register as voters. They set up rules and measures that made it difficult for the blacks to register for voting. They required that the blacks pass a test and pay a certain tax that was referred to as poll tax so that they could register and vote. The whites knew if the blacks were allowed to vote, they would be able to change the people who govern them and the rules that governed them. The black people chosen in government would then help more black people register, so that they can vote for them to remain in government. This would lead to a revolution that the whites were not ready for. President John F. Kennedy was very supportive of the blacks and tried to get more blacks registered for voting by supporting students to help the blacks register.
Right to proper housing
The right to proper housing was one of the issues in the 1960s that caused a difference in perspectives between the whites and the blacks. The blacks at that time were living in the poor areas of America while the whites were living in the rich and well developed areas. On the same note, the whites could not sell nice houses or homes to the blacks. They made sure that the blacks could not get access to the homes that were in the nice neighborhoods which had been segregated to the whites. Hence the blacks were stuck living in the poor areas. A Civil Rights Commission in 1960 reported that 57 of the non white houses were below standard (Pohlmann and Whisenhunt, pp 199). The blacks used the civil rights movement to fight for equality in housing and were seeking the same treatment from the banks, realtors and white homeowners to allow them buy nicer homes. President F. Kennedy made an executive order 11063, to allow the blacks get better houses and homes (Pohlmann and Whisenhunt, pp 199).
Right to join the military
The blacks had for long helped their masters and their employers defend their property in the Civil War and other wars such as the World War, the Vietnam and the Korean War, yet they were continually being treated unfairly and without respect. As the men went fighting, their women, daughters, mothers and sisters were being oppressed back at home. The blacks were fighting for equal treatment in the armed forces without basis on the race or color or their national origin. This was one of the achievements that the whites were responsible for initiating for the blacks. They eventually succeeded when President Truman made an order announcing that there should be equal treatment in the military without basis on the race, color, religion or national origin. This led to an increase in the number of blacks that were enlisted in the Air force and the Marines from 5-9 and 2-8 respectively, between the years 1949 and 1962 (Teelucksingh, para 35).
Prior to the Montgomery Bus boycott and the civil rights movement, the whites had denied the blacks their rights based on their own perspectives that made them maintain their status quo. On the other hand, the blacks were viewing the treatment as discrimination and they felt that the whites were oppressing them. They then decided to start fighting for equal treatment and avoid being treated as second rate citizens. The Montgomery Bus boycott and its success set the tone for the movements that led to the blacks getting equal treatment. The blacks finally succeeded when the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which was started off by President F. Kennedy, became law. The Act was a way forward for the blacks to start getting equal treatment like that of the whites.
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