New Civil Rights Museum Launched to Mark Anniversary of Bus Boycott
Holt Street Memorial Baptist Church erupted in songs of praise and joy this week to honor the 69th anniversary of the Bus Boycott.
The festivities began early Monday morning (Dec. 1) with a ribbon-cutting at 9:30 a.m. for the Holt Street Baptist Church Historical Museum, the site of the mass meeting that launched the boycott. This was followed by a private museum tour at 10 a.m., sponsored by the City of Montgomery.
Guests were treated to a guided discussion and were able to view never-before-seen artifacts.
The 69th Anniversary Celebration took place at the Holt Street Memorial Baptist Church at 6 p.m. and featured special guests Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley, Pastor John P. Kee, the Montgomery United Mass Choir, and more.
The Montgomery Bus Boycott, sparked by Rosa Parks' arrest in December 1955, was a pivotal civil rights protest against segregation on public buses.
Beginning on December 5, 1955, Black residents of Montgomery, Alabama, led by figures like Martin Luther King, Jr., boycotted buses for over a year. This boycott eventually led to a Supreme Court ruling desegregating public transportation.
Holt Street Baptist Church, built in 1913, played a significant role throughout the boycott, serving as a hub for strategy sessions and mass meetings.
