381 Days…
The Montgomery
Bus Boycott lasted for a total of 381 days….
Initially, the movement started slowly. Not everyone was willing to forsake their
livelihood to join, yet, another movement that may yield no result. As time marched on, more and more joined the effort
and – through organization of resources – the marchers were able to orchestrate
carpools and taxi services. This, too,
was attacked but the movement was uninterrupted. Finally, the movement began to impact the
income potential of the city as a whole.
Bus drivers were getting laid off, stores were closing, and revenue was
lost.
You see, for 381 days, Americans of color sacrificed a
convenience to show their disdain for the level of disrespect shown them. The
boycott was a visible demonstration that held an economic impact that took a
year to be felt in the pockets of the entire community. As long as we walked in the rain and snow,
they were unmoved. As long as it took
hours to walk to and from work, they were unmoved. As long as it took hours to walk to feed our
families, they were unmoved. The boycott
was only effective when it began to cause other Americans to lose jobs, lose
income, and face the probability of having to, finally, “go without”.