1955-1958

Post date: Mar 31, 2013 4:45:39 AM

Jeannie and Bob and and their two babies moved to Montgomery, Alabama and were immersed in the Civil Rights Struggle. Late that same year, their friend and neighbor, Rosa Parks, refused to give up her seat to a white person on a Montgomery City Bus, and the historic Montgomery Bus Boycott was born. Bob became one of the organizers of the boycott alongside Dr. King and others, and Jean joined the Women’s Political Council along with Coretta King, Juanita Abernathy, and other women leaders. The council had been established in the late 1940s to organize women to work against racism and segregation in Montgomery.

Despite repeated attempts on her husband’s life and multiple bombings of the family’s home, Jean stayed strong and held the household together. She helped their children through their fears, and she invented a special “game” of hiding behind the couch to keep them safe in case of another bombing. She fed and entertained a steady stream of media personnel and other visitors from around the world who traveled to Montgomery to learn more about the Boycott.