The Public Has Been Misinformed About The Montgomery Bus Boycott For Decades

As the face of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Rosa Parks will forever be a national hero. And for good reason! However, she's far from the only woman to stand up for the rights of Black Americans. Years before Rosa's arrest, a daring woman named Jo Ann Robinson forged the path for the popular uprising that got the attention of the whole world. So why isn't Robinson a household name like Parks?

In Rosa's Shadow

Here's the part everybody knows: on December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks made history. Her refusal to give up a bus seat marked the beginning of the Montgomery Bus Boycotts, which lasted over a year and culminated in a groundbreaking Supreme Court decision. That's a nice, tidy narrative, but it leaves out the woman who was pulling strings behind the scenes.

Another Hero

That's right, there was another courageous hero who played a crucial role at that moment, and her name was Jo Ann Robinson. This civil rights hero had a knack for inspiring change and bringing special people together, highlighted by her relationship with one of America's brightest stars.

Making MLK

Before Martin Luther King Jr. met Jo Ann, he was just a talented preacher; her talents took him to the next level. Robinson's tireless spirit was particularly impressive, as her life was a hard one. Jo Ann could have easily become bitter and shut off from the world.

Georgia Born

The youngest of 12 children, Jo Ann Gibson Robinson was born in Culloden, Georgia on April 17, 1912. She was no stranger to strife and certainly knew all about the Jim Crow South, though there was little she could do to fight racism directly as a child. Before she could rule the streets, she would rule her school.