1956

Report on Montgomery, Alabama

In this special report published by the War Resisters League, Bayard Rustin assesses the Montgomery Bus Boycott during its eleventh week, examining the movement’s grassroots origins, the leadership of the Montgomery Improvement Association, and the growing commitment to nonviolent resistance. He documents the repression and intimidation faced by Black protesters while highlighting the boycott’s transformative impact on their collective dignity and political power. Rustin also calls on Northern pacifists to support the movement and confront racial segregation in their own communities.