On the 13th of this month, 1956, The supreme court ruled it unconstitutional for Alabama and Montgomery Alabama to enforce bus segregation. Thus by the 20th the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which began last year in December of 1955 with Miss Parks, has ended.
Here is an interview from April of this year (1956) from Miss Parks
Last year (1955) before Parks refusal, a 15 year old girl, Claudette Colvin, also refused to give up her seat to a white person. This combined with Parks lead to the Boycott. As most of the drivers and a large percentage of the patrons of the buses were black, this was a great economic hardship on the bus lines. On June 4th of this year (1956) the pressure across the country in support of the ban on this segregation lead to the Federal District Court proclaiming the Alabama laws unconstitutional. But, an appeal kept the segregation in place until November, when the U.S. Supreme court declared such segregation unconstitutional.
It seems we don’t actually learn from our own history. Whenever we are prone to deny rights to fellow citizens, it leads to a raucous for awhile and really only more hatred and misplaced anger. And, in the end, the law is then often made right and the injured parties, once slaves, once women, then Blacks, win in the end. This is true today for other American’s whose civil liberties are brought into question. Understanding and kindness is so much a prettier place to be. Even when one does not agree with those being prejudiced against, one MUST agree that every individual DOES or should get the same liberties and freedom as all. I am not sure why this always is the case with we American’s, but it does seem to be a pattern.
I hope that kindness and charity will win out over personal opinion. But, alas, we have so many MORE ways to fan the fires today with endless ‘News’ programs, talk shows, radio shows, internet this and that. It’s a wonder the muck racking isn’t worse, though I suppose it is rather bad. We are constantly shown lines drawn in the sand and told to ‘choose a side’. We have all been on the other side of misunderstanding, so we should use that experience to put ourselves in the place of others. And that is all I have to say on that.
Just for fun, some colorful 1950’s items.
This bright ‘flagstone’ floor gets installed one ‘flagstone’ at a time. I say this room (most likely a basement room) has really committed to its theme. It has gusto, I will say that for it. And speaking of Gusto, look at these lampshades. They are not wall flowers nor do they accompany a room, they become pieces of modern art, I would say.
Happy Homemaking.
