What Boycotting Looks Like 70 Years After the Montgomery Bus Boycott

December 8, 2025

The Montgomery Bus Boycott, which began 70 years ago on December 5, 1955, is being commemorated with events reuniting descendants of civil rights leaders and original participants who remember distributing flyers and walking for 381 days to protest segregated buses. The historic boycott, sparked by Rosa Parks' arrest for refusing to give up her seat, successfully challenged bus segregation laws and established a model of nonviolent economic protest that activists continue to employ today. Modern organizers have launched contemporary boycotts targeting corporations like Target and Amazon over their diversity policies and political affiliations, drawing direct inspiration from the Montgomery example.

Who is affected

An estimated 40,000 Black residents of Montgomery who participated in the original boycott
Doris Crenshaw (now 82), a former boycott participant who distributed flyers at age 12
Rosa Parks, who was arrested on December 1, 1955
Descendants of civil rights leaders including Rev. Bernice A. King (daughter of Martin Luther King Jr.) and Donzaleigh Abernathy (daughter of Rev. Ralph Abernathy)
Modern activists and organizers including Rev. Jamal Bryant, Deborah Scott, and NAACP President Derrick Johnson
13-year-old Madison Pugh and her grandmother who are participating in current boycotts
Corporations like Target and Amazon facing contemporary boycott efforts
Black communities engaging in current selective buying campaigns

What action is being taken

Multiple commemorative events are being held in Montgomery marking the 70th anniversary, including celebrations at Holt Street Baptist Church and gatherings at Alabama State University
National organizers are encouraging people to boycott Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, specifically targeting corporations like Target and Amazon
Madison Pugh and her grandmother are actively refusing to shop at Target
The NAACP is conducting what they call "selective buying campaigns"
Georgia Stand-Up is working on engaging and developing the next generation of activists and leaders

Why it matters

The Montgomery Bus Boycott is widely considered the beginning of the modern Civil Rights Movement and demonstrated the effectiveness of sustained nonviolent protest and economic pressure as tools for social change. The boycott successfully struck down bus segregation laws and established a blueprint for activism that continues to influence contemporary movements. The 70th anniversary serves as a reminder that, as Coretta Scott King stated, "struggle is a never ending process" and freedom must be earned in every generation. The connection between historical and modern boycotts shows how economic leverage remains a powerful mechanism for communities to address discriminatory policies and corporate behavior, even as methods evolve with technology and social media.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint