Decision Guide

What Should Be Done to Ease Racial Tensions in Montgomery in 1956?

Deliberate over the tough choices Montgomery citizens faced in 1956 as rising tensions were brought to a head by the bus boycott.

Source: Dan Weiner

It is March, 1956, in Montgomery, Alabama.

Our city is more divided than ever, and we face crucial questions as a community about how to address the tensions exposed by the bus boycott. How do we create a society in which all of our citizens feel safe, respected, and free to pursue their own beliefs? No one wants the current status quo–ongoing protests, and open conflict between different segments of our city–to last forever. All of our citizens must make decisions about how Montgomery should address the obvious tensions in our city. And no matter what values they decide to prioritize, there will be inevitable tradeoffs and drawbacks. These are hard decisions, and citizens from across our community must deliberate about these choices:

  • Option 1: Keep Montgomery Citizens Safe
  • Option 2: Integrate Montgomery
  • Option 3: Let Individuals and Businesses Make Their Own Choices