Quote from “Montgomery Bus Boycott” Speech

“Montgomery Bus Boycott” Speech

NPS Photo

Quick Facts

Location:

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

Designation:

National Park

Amenities

2 listed

Information - Ranger/Staff Member Present, Wheelchair Accessible

This speech was given in Montgomery, AL on December 5, 1955 

Rosa Parks, secretary of the Montgomery, AL, chapter of the NAACP, was arrested on December 1, 1955, for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white person. Black community leaders responded by forming the Montgomery Improvement Association on December 5, 1955. It chose Dr. King as its leader and asked him to lead a boycott against the bus company. This involvement in a localized event starts him on his journey as a leader in the Civil Rights Movement. 

The U.S. Supreme Court decision in “Browder vs. Gayle”, declaring Alabama and Montgomery bus segregation laws unconstitutional, took effect on December 20, 1956. King received national attention for his role in the bus boycott, which ended on that date. 

The portion of this quote that is listed within quote marks is from the Bible book of Amos 5:24.   

(Note the waterfalls adjacent to the Mountain of Despair. Note the Tidal Basin and understand that it is fed by and is, in essence, part of the Potomac River.)