How did the white population in Montgomery react to the bus boycott?

Answer 1

In general, the white population of Montgomery did not like the boycott. The African Americans involved were fighting for desegregation and the vast majority of European Americans in Montgomery (but not all) did not want their city desegregated. Many reacted violently, attacking boycotters and even firebombing four Baptist churches and the houses of boycott leaders Martin Luther King, Jr and E.D. Nixon. The membership of the white supremacist White Citizens' Council doubled during the boycott.

There were also several attempts to undermine the boycott. When black taxi drivers tried to support the cause by charging boycott participants only ten cents (the same as a bus ride), city officials decided to charge a fine to any taxi driver who charged less than forty-five cents. Police often arrested these drivers for even the most minor traffic violations. They also arrested boycott participants waiting for rides for loitering.

On February 21, 1956, eighty-nine African Americans, including Reverend King, were indicted under a 1921 law prohibiting boycotts. Insurance companies withdrew the policies of people using their private vehicles to give rides to boycotters.

Toward the beginning of the boycott, the City Commission met with three black ministers who were not boycott leaders and offered them a compromise, which was basically no different from the system already in place. The ministers agreed and the commission planted false stories in the local papers announcing that the issue with bus company had been resolved. The boycott's actual leaders had rush around the city to convince people the stories were hoaxes to keep the boycott going.

Eventually, white business owners realized the boycott was bad for business. They were losing thousands of dollars because African Americans rarely made the journey into downtown to go shopping now that they were mostly traveling by foot. The business community formed a group called the Men of Montgomery and tried to negotiate directly with the boycotters to end the protest, but talks broke down and the boycott continued until the Supreme Court ruled in the boycotters' favor and issued its mandate.

Unfortunately, the violence did not end once the black community started to use the buses again. Buses had to stop running after 5pm because there were incidents where snipers shot at buses. One group tried to start a whites-only bus service. There were bombings at four Baptist churches, two black leaders' homes, another black person's home, and the People's Service Station and Cab Stand. An unexploded bomb was found on Reverend King's porch.

There were a few white people who supported the boycott and desegregation in general. Montgomery resident Sarah Herbert, along with a small group of white women, used to drive boycotters where they needed to go. White supporters often suffered for affiliating themselves with the boycott. Reverend Robert Graetz's family was ostracized and their home was bombed three times (only twice successfully).

Answer 2

The boycott was not well received by the white people of Montgomery. There were instances of fire bombings, frequent arrests, and physical attacks on boycotters. City officials also attempted to force the end of the boycott by making cab fares comparable to bus fares illegal.