Buses are Canceled: What the Montgomery Boycott Can Teach Us About Sustainable Paths to Equality
My first introduction to Black history was the Montgomery bus boycott. It was in early elementary school when I first learned of Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King. Yet I graduated high school with no mention of other important Black activists — no Daisy Bates, Claudette Colvin, Angela Davis, Bayard Rustin, or Malcolm X. The horrific details of segregation were simplified and the systematic persistence of white supremacy was erased. Nonetheless, the Montgomery bus boycott remained as one remnant of the Civil Rights era in the curriculum of lower education.
The boycott began on Dec. 5th, 1955 and finished on Dec. 20th, 1956. Parks and King are famously credited as the leaders of the campaign against public transit’s racial segregation policy. E.D. Nixon and Fred Gray also earned the title as leaders of the boycott, however their names were lost to history, as was Claudette Colvin’s. Colvin was only 15 years old when she was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white woman. She was arrested on March 2nd, 1955 — nine months prior when the boycott reportedly began. Her record was expunged 66 years later, in Dec. of 2021. Her bravery and grit were forgotten, erased by lingering white supremacy.
Unlike the actual Montgomery boycott, the lessons about it were short. My teachers pointed out the activists’ courage, but forgot to mention the protestors’ physical and mental dedication to change, regardless of inconvenience. Throughout the 382 day protest, thousands of Black Americans walked to and from their destinations. The cause created a community: Black neighbors organized carpools and Black taxi drivers charged 10 cents (the same price as the bus fare) for Black riders. Demanding change isn’t as simple as a single no; loss of capital proved to be perhaps the most effective. It is estimated that the Montgomery public transit system lost about $3,000 per day. The fight for integration was anything but peaceful and timely. In his 1963 Letter from a Birmingham Jail, King writes, “Freedom is never given voluntarily by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.”
In 2022, racism and injustice are still a parasite in the United States. Black women, children and men are repeatedly murdered at the hands of bigotry. Their names — George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Elijah McClain, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Sandra Bland, Trayvon Martin and many more — become a trending and fleeting hashtag. The nation’s mourning and civil unrest were mocked by right wing pundits. Conversative authorities deny racism and reject the course of history that has brutalized Black people in America. They perceive any mention of a person of color in a classroom to be “critical race theory,” and in some libraries are banning books and giving parents slips to have their child opt out of Black History Month.
The lack of equity and equality in this country is not at the fault of one side. Malcolm X implored that the white liberal was the worst enemy to the Black man. Rather than tangible and satisfactory change, liberals offer symbols and performance. They post black squares on Instagram, promising that #blacklivesmatter. Yet there were more posts than signatures on petitions demanding justice. They share infographics of antiracist media for consumption by others, but neglect to indulge in it themselves. They share lists of Black businesses to support, yet their capital is still largely offered to corporations owned by a handful of white men. The response to what could have been acknowledged as the second wave of the civil rights movement is purely theatrical.
If the Montgomery bus boycotts occurred today, I am certain that it would proceed under the guise of cancel culture. The claim would be “Gen Z is offended by everything,” followed by, “Hypothetically speaking, if soft liberals are canceling buses, what’s next? The road?” Amidst the discussion, #busesareoverparty would trend on Twitter. Liberals would proudly retweet yet continually support public transit through monetary means. Conservatives, liberals and centrists alike would distract from the purpose of the protest to fuss over the looming threat of cancel culture. They would refuse to acknowledge it for what it is: a boycott. “If you feel a company or something they support harms you or your community, and you end commercial or social relations with said company,” academic and host of The Humanity Archive, Jermaine Fowler, said. “It’s not called cancel culture, it's called boycotting.”
There is a population of the country that predisposes themselves to a mob mentality, dragging someone down without purpose. However, this population stains the group that is searching for actual accountability. As diligent Americans proved in the civil rights movement, freedom isn’t provided without a fight and what we conceive today as “cancellation.” It took 382 days and thousands of dollars for Black people to gain fair treatment on transit. Performative efforts aren’t sustainable strides towards progress; an infographic is not going to cut it. Denial of the problem is not going to help anyone.
My plea is simple.
For starters, let’s teach kids the full history of the civil rights movement. No shortcuts, no skipping key players, and no simplifying the details and significance for comfort. We should also encourage administrators and faculty to share history beyond Black oppression. This is not your so-called “critical race theory,” but sharing an accurate, well rounded account of history. Black history is American history, and education is the best combat for fighting ignorance.
As the hope for a more perfect union continues, let’s not forget that genuine change has to be sustainable. Prior to a solution, the problem needs to be acknowledged. The people have power and, more importantly, have the first amendment granting their practice to protest. In the good fight, we cannot give up, no matter how inconvenient it is. In the past, thousands of Americans went over a year taking more difficult routes to ensure their voices were heard. We can do it again. Activism isn’t an evanescent Instagram trend; dedication to equality must go beyond signs and symbols.
Finally, the line between the mob mentality and expecting accountability is thin. The line has been painted red — “CANCEL CULTURE” — cheaply shutting down any constructive conversation. There is an obvious difference between scrolling years back to find problematic tweets of an individual, and holding institutions responsible for equal and ethical practices. The Montgomery protestors didn’t spend their time on the individual; rather, they targeted the institution. Colvin wasn’t “canceling” the white woman when she refused to give up her seat. Her refusal was in an effort to eradicate the white supremacy and segregation that the white person benefited from. Unsubstantiated objections, in which no one operates on a single definition, prevents any hope for a greater future. ♦