Civil Rights activist and the pioneer behind the 1953 Baton Rouge bus boycott, Martha White, passed away on Saturday, June 5, at 99 years old.
According to a statement acquired by Revolt, the mayor of Baton Rouge, Sharon Weston Broome, and several other Civil Rights leaders reflected on White’s impact earlier this week.
On June 15, 1953, White was 23 years old and returning home from her job as a housekeeper.
White used to tread for miles to and from the bus stop each day, and, one day after spending all day on her feet, she decided to take the bus’s only open seat, which happened to be reserved for white bus passengers.
When the bus driver ordered her to move, she refused, and another Black woman came and sat next to her in solidarity.
The driver threatened to have the two women arrested, and police, the bus company, and civil rights activist Rev. T.J. Jemison arrived at the scene.
At the time, the city of Baton Rouge had recently passed an ordinance to desegregate the buses, which meant White was within her legal rights to sit in any seat of her liking.
However, the law didn’t go over well with white folk, and bus drivers went on strike, which ultimately led the city to reverse the rule.
Black activists responded with a public boycott, which provided the framework for the famous bus boycotts in Montgomery, Alabama.
Broome said, “Martha White undoubtedly shaped our community in Baton Rouge and communities across our nation, “
“We honor her legacy today and every day,” she added.
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According to The Advocate, Ted Jemison, the son of Rev. T.J. Jemison, remembered White being an outspoken woman who was unafraid to share her opinion throughout her life.
He recalled a conversation he had with her years ago about that historic summer day, where she told him she just wanted to sit in that bus seat because she was tired exhausted after working on her feet, day in and day out.
“‘Can you imagine working on your feet all day and just wanting to sit down?’” Jemison said.
“She was the same way from when she was young to when she was 90 years old. She knew that what she did was for the good of everyone in Baton Rouge,” he added.
