Non-Violent Protests

• montgomery bus boycott (1955-1956)
• • Catalyst:
  • On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, an African American seamstress, refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus for a white passenger, leading to her arrest.
• • Organisation:
  • The African American community, under the leadership of a then-relatively unknown Martin Luther King Jr., initiated the boycott, avoiding the city's bus system and organising alternative transport means.
• • Impact:
  • After 381 days, the boycott culminated in the Supreme Court ruling that segregation on public buses was unconstitutional.
  • It positioned Martin Luther King Jr. at the forefront of the civil rights movement.
• Freedom Rides (1961)

  • Origins:
  • The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) organised the Freedom Rides, where racially integrated groups boarded buses destined for the Southern states.
• Freedom Rides (1961)

  • Objective:
  • To challenge the non-enforcement of the Supreme Court decisions that ruled segregated buses as unconstitutional.
• Freedom Rides (1961)

  • Impact:
  • In locations like Alabama, riders faced extreme violence from white supremacists.
  • The severe reactions forced the Kennedy administration to ensure the desegregation of interstate transportation.
• Freedom Summer (1964)

  • Objective:
  • Spearheaded by various civil rights organisations, the goal was to increase African American voter registration in Mississippi.
• General Public

  • Northern Response:
  • Many white individuals, particularly in the North, grew sympathetic to the civil rights movement after media outlets broadcasted the brutality faced by peaceful protestors.
• General Public

  • Southern Resistance:
  • However, in the Deep South, many opposed the movement, viewing it as a threat to their way of life and societal norms. These individuals often resisted through violent means, targeting activists and protestors.
• Government Stance

  • Early Reluctance:
  • During the movement's nascent stages, the federal response was often tepid, with many Southern local governments actively thwarting desegregation efforts.
• Government Stance

  • Change in Approach:
  • With violence against peaceful protestors becoming a common spectacle on national television, there was escalating pressure on the federal government to intercede.
  • This led to the enactment of pivotal legislation, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
  • Both President John F. Kennedy and his successor, Lyndon B. Johnson, eventually recognised the urgency of the matter and played pivotal roles in advancing civil rights through significant legislative measures.
• By using peaceful resistance and civil disobedience, the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 60s showcased the transformative power of non-violence in challenging and overhauling long-standing societal norms and discriminatory laws.