Transportation segregation protests go as far back as 1841 with Frederick Douglass and the Eastern Railroad.

The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a massive success lead by the 26-year-old Martin Luther King Jr. It was possible because of the years of groundwork led by Jo Ann Robinson and the Woman’s Political Council around the Jim Crow laws in regards to the bus system. On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white male passenger on a city bus. A tremendous 382-day Montgomery Bus Boycott ensued, ending with the US Supreme Court declaring bus segregation unconstitutional. This proved to the people of the south, as well as the world, that non-violent mass protest could successfully challenge racial segregation.

Dr. King was asked to become president of the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA), which was formed days after Rosa Parks was arrested for the purpose of continuing and organizing the Boycott. As pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, the organizers looked to Dr. King as a strong leader for the movement. As President, he was instrumental in determining that the boycott would continue until demands were met. Those included: Black passengers should be treated with courtesy. Seating should be allotted on a first-come-first-serve basis, with white passengers sitting from front to back and black passengers sitting from back to front. And, African American drivers should drive routes that primarily serviced African Americans.
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The boycott lasted until December 20, 1956 and Martin Luther King, Jr. was thrust into the spotlight.