About the book
Before the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Freedom Rides, Black women passengers founded bus protest and made the right to a bus seat a symbol of the right to American democracy. Traveling back to the beginning of the bus industry in the 1920s, Policing Passengers tells the hidden history of this first generation of riders in the Jim Crow North and South. In response to the perceived threat of Black women’s mobility, white bus executives recruited drivers from law enforcement and implemented surveillance policies to violently police these riders.
But Black women passengers resisted the bus industry’s policing. They narrated their experiences to the Black press, wrote blistering letters to bus companies, notarized affidavits, and pressed the government to investigate. During the Great Migration and World War II, at least forty-three Black women passengers sued for segregation and bodily injury. Their lawsuits culminated in Morgan v. Virginia, the 1946 Supreme Court decision that enforcing segregation on interstate buses was unconstitutional. Mary-Elizabeth B. Murphy’s innovative and meticulously researched book reveals that Black women passengers' activism transformed the bus industry and drafted the blueprints for the postwar Black freedom struggle.
Editions of Policing Passengers
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9781469698304
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781469698311
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469696515
- PDF
- ISBN 9781469698328
Read an Excerpt
Before the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Freedom Rides, Black women passengers founded bus protest and made the right to a bus seat a symbol of the right to American democracy. Traveling back to the beginning of the bus industry in the 1920s, Policing Passengers tells the hidden history of this first generation of riders in the Jim Crow North and South. In response to the perceived threat of Black women’s mobility, white bus executives recruited drivers from law enforcement and implemented surveillance policies to violently police these riders.
But Black women passengers resisted the bus industry’s policing. They narrated their experiences to the Black press, wrote blistering letters to bus companies, notarized affidavits, and pressed the government to investigate. During the Great Migration and World War II, at least forty-three Black women passengers sued for segregation and bodily injury. Their lawsuits culminated in Morgan v. Virginia, the 1946 Supreme Court decision that enforcing segregation on interstate buses was unconstitutional. Mary-Elizabeth B. Murphy’s innovative and meticulously researched book reveals that Black women passengers' activism transformed the bus industry and drafted the blueprints for the postwar Black freedom struggle.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Policing Passengers about?
Before the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Freedom Rides, Black women passengers founded bus protest and made the right to a bus seat a symbol of the right to American democracy. Traveling back to the beginning of the bus industry in the 1920s, Policing Passengers tells the hidden history of this first generation of riders in the Jim Crow North and South. In response to the perceived threat of Black women’s mobility, white bus executives recruited drivers from law enforcement and implemented surveillance policies to violently police these riders.
But Black women passengers resisted the bus industry’s policing. They narrated their experiences to the Black press, wrote blistering letters to bus companies, notarized affidavits, and pressed the government to investigate. During the Great Migration and World War II, at least forty-three Black women passengers sued for segregation and bodily injury. Their lawsuits culminated in Morgan v. Virginia, the 1946 Supreme Court decision that enforcing segregation on interstate buses was unconstitutional. Mary-Elizabeth B. Murphy’s innovative and meticulously researched book reveals that Black women passengers' activism transformed the bus industry and drafted the blueprints for the postwar Black freedom struggle.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Policing Passengers?
History and Archaeology > History > History of the Americas
Where can I read a sample of Policing Passengers?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781469698304
How long is Policing Passengers and how many pages does it have?
Policing Passengers has 286 page(s)
Is Policing Passengers part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?
Yes it is a part of series Justice, Power, and Politics
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Policing Passengers?
Mary-Elizabeth B. Murphy
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Policing Passengers is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781469698304) and paperback(ISBN 9781469698311) and ebook(ISBN 9781469696515) and pdf(ISBN 9781469698328)
Where can I buy Policing Passengers online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Policing Passengers from below
Where can I buy Policing Passengers?