Spreading Good News (Post 642 – BLACK HISTORY TUESDAY: Thelma Glass, Organizer of the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955)

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CONSTANT QUOTE

 

 

IT’S BETTER TO DIE CHASING A DREAM NEVER CAUGHT THAN TO DIE NEVER HAVING CHASED THE DREAM.  ~ Joyce Fields

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BESIDES YOURSELF, WHO ELSE HAVE YOU BEEN GOOD TO TODAY?  ~ Joyce Fields

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ANNOUNCING MY NEW BOOK!!  Dear Bully:  A Collection of Poems about Bullying.  I’m reading six poems from the book at  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3sdKM-yl2M.

I love to read your comments!!

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TODAY’S BLOG

We all should know more about the contributions that African-Americans have made in the fields of science and medicine, as well as art, music, the written word, sports, and just-everyday life.

“Black History Month,” (February) is over, but I will continue Spreading Good News about Black History on what I will call “Black History Tuesday.”

I hope you enjoy this piece!

BLACK HISTORY TUESDAY:  Thelma Glass, Organizer of the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955

Source:  The Internet

Thelma Glass in her 90s.

Thelma Glass, the last surviving member of a black women’s group that in 1955 organized a yearlong bus boycott in Montgomery, Ala., after the arrest of Rosa Parks for refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white man, died on Tuesday, July 24, 2012.  She was 96.

Thelma Glass as a young woman.

Her great-niece, Marcia Young, confirmed that Mrs. Glass died in Montgomery.

Mrs. Glass, a professor of geography at Alabama State University, was the secretary of the Women’s Political Council, which leapt to action within hours of Ms. Parks’ arrest on Dec. 1, 1955.  The women’s group, realizing that three-quarters of the bus riders in Montgomery were black, called on blacks to boycott the buses to put pressure on the city, the state and the bus company to stop forcing them to ride in the back and surrender their seats to white passengers.

The group urged people to walk or car-pool instead of taking the bus, and Mrs. Glass was among those who drove others to work and helped pass out fliers to alert the community to the boycott.

By Monday, Dec. 5, the buses were empty.

“When the first bus came by with nobody on it, I couldn’t believe it,” Mrs. Glass told The Montgomery Advertiser in 2005.  As bus after bus rumbled past without a soul on board, she grew more and more delighted.  “It’s a feeling of such happiness and accomplishment that you just can’t quite explain,” she said.

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., helped lead the boycott, and thousands participated. For the transit system, it was a swift kick in the pocketbook.  Whites retaliated, sometimes with violence, sometimes with arrests and fines for offenses like conspiring to interfere with a business.  Dr. King was jailed.  The civil rights movement was energized.

“We didn’t have time to sit still and be scared,” Mrs. Glass said.

In November 1956 the Supreme Court ruled that Alabama’s laws allowing segregation on the buses were unconstitutional.  In December, the boycott ended.

Thelma McWilliams was born in Mobile, Ala., on May 16, 1916.  Her father was a hotel cook and her mother a homemaker who sometimes helped her husband.  Education was a high priority, and Ms. McWilliams graduated as valedictorian from Dunbar High School in Mobile at age 15.  She earned a bachelor’s degree from Alabama State University and a master’s from Columbia, both in geography.  She taught geography at Alabama State for 40 years, and an auditorium there is named for her.

In 1942 she married Arthur Glass, who also taught at Alabama State.  Mr. Glass died in 1983.

On July 20, just a few days before her death, Professor Glass attended a black tie gala at the university, clad in an elegant gown.

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If you’re interested in reading all about “My Breast Cancer Journey,” those posts start with post #334.

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~ Joyce Fields

 

ADDITIONAL OFFERINGS FROM JOYCE FIELDS

Joyce is an author who has written seven books.  If you enjoy this blog, you will, undoubtedly, enjoy all her books.  Her sister, Anita, is also an author.

BE INSPIRED!  You can read about and order their books AND order merchandise from their online store at this link (or click the “BE INSPIRED!” button above):

https://lineofserenity.wordpress.com/get-more-inspiration/

Thanks for your interest AND support!!

Contact Joyce at goodshortbooks@yahoo.com.

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SOME OF JOYCE’S FAVORITE BLOGS

I visit these blogs and leave comments regularly.  I think you will enjoy them all!

http://www.lenasledgeblog.com  Books, reviews, give-aways, interviews.

http://living4bliss.com  Believing Life Is Set up for Success (BLISS)

http://goss-coaching.com/author/gosscoaching  A professional writer and wellness coach helping people connect thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and action to create optimal health and a vibrant life.

http://www.thebirkineffect.com  Musings of a “want it all” 21st century woman.

http://www.thesweetsensations.com  A baking, entertainment, and lifestyle blog.  Fantastic recipes and food photography, too!

http://www.pennilessparenting.com  A rich life on minimum wage.  Plus fabulous, healthful recipes!

http://www.rumpydog.com  I’m a dog with a unique perspective on human life.

http://www.davidkanigan.com/  Lead.Learn.Live.  David Kanigan:  Inspiration, Ideas & Information.

http://callingoftheheart.wordpress.com  Spirituality, Psychology, and Political.

http://www.petedenton.wordpress.com  Writer of short stories, Flash fiction, and some scripts.