Question

prior to the montgomery bus boycott, what were black people expected to do on the bus?

drive the bus from place to place

enter through the front of the bus

give up their seat to a white person

Explanation:

⚡ Using what you learned: core goals of the civil rights movement

Step 1: Analyze Jim Crow bus laws

Under the segregation laws (Jim Crow laws) in Montgomery, Alabama, public buses were strictly segregated by race. Black passengers were required by law to sit in the back of the bus. Furthermore, if the white section in the front filled up, Black passengers were legally required to give up their seats to white passengers.

Step 2: Evaluate the options

• drive the bus from place to place: Incorrect. Bus drivers were white, and Black people were not employed as drivers on these city routes.
• enter through the front of the bus: Incorrect. Black passengers were typically forced to pay at the front and then get off and re-enter through the back door.
• give up their seat to a White person: Correct. This was a central rule of the segregated bus system, which directly led to Rosa Parks' arrest and the subsequent Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Answer:

give up their seat to a White person