The significant legal case that challenged the notion of bus segregation and Alabama’s state statutes came in the form of the Aurelia S. Browder v William A. Gayle case. Due to Browder v Gayle challenging the constitutionality of a state statute, the case was brought before a three judge US district court panel. Filed by Fred Gray and Charles D. Langford on behalf of four African American women. The plaintiffs in the case were Aurelia S. Browder, Susie McDonald, Claudette Colvin, Mary Louise Smith, and Jeanette Reese. Outside pressure led to Reese withdrawing from the case in February. The list of defendants included Mayor William A. Gayle, the city’s chief of police, representatives from Montgomery’s board of commissioners, Montgomery city lines, including two bus drivers, and representatives of the Alabama public service commission. Fred Gray “wanted the court to have only one issue to decide – the constitutionality of the laws requiring…show more content… Rives and Frank M. Johnson decided in favour of the Montgomery improvement association in ruling that the segregation of buses was unconstitutional. Rives argument stated that in the precedent case brown v board of education of Topeka Kansas which saw the rejection of the” separate but equal doctrine” regarding segregation in schools, could be applied to public transport as it also violated the fourteenth amendment. Johnson’s argument stated that the law is clear and does not tolerate the discrimination on the basis of race. Johnson also believe that any segregation in a public place was unconstitutional and that it violated the equal- protection clause. The Montgomery bus boycott ended on 21 December 1956 three days after the enactment of integrated bus transport. Violence erupted through the transport system, incited by white people, buses were shot at and churches bombed. These conditions further vindicated Montgomery’s black community to take action against the hate crimes and other racism which they
