Aurelia Browder facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Aurelia S. Browder
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| Born | January 29, 1919 |
| Died | February 4, 1971 (aged 52) |
| Alma mater | Alabama State University |
| Occupation | Civil rights activist, seamstress, nurse midwife, teacher, businesswoman |
| Organization | National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Montgomery Improvement Association, Southern Christian Leadership Conference |
| Known for | Plaintiff in Browder v. Gayle, case which desegregated public buses |
Aurelia Shines Browder Coleman (January 29, 1919 – February 4, 1971) was an African-American civil rights activist. She lived in Montgomery, Alabama. In April 1955, she was arrested for not giving up her bus seat to a white person. This happened before Rosa Parks and Claudette Colvin were arrested for similar reasons.
Contents
Biography
Early Life and Family
Aurelia Browder was born on January 29, 1919, in Montgomery, Alabama. She lived there her whole life. She was a widow and raised her six children by herself. Aurelia worked hard in many jobs. She was a seamstress, a nurse midwife, and a teacher. She was also a businesswoman.
Aurelia was a very strong and smart woman. Jo Ann Gibson Robinson, another civil rights leader, described her. She said Aurelia was "well-read, highly intelligent, fearless."
Education and Inspiration
Aurelia Browder finished high school when she was in her thirties. Later, she earned a science degree from Alabama State University. She graduated with high honors. She was also part of the National Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society.
At Alabama State University, Browder met Jo Ann Gibson Robinson. Robinson was an English professor and a civil rights activist. She was also a member of the Women's Political Council. Robinson inspired Browder to fight for fairness in public transportation. She encouraged Browder to join a lawsuit against bus segregation. This lawsuit was supported by the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA).
Fighting for Civil Rights
Before the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Browder was active in voter registration. In the 1950s, many African Americans faced challenges when trying to vote. She helped people prepare for the voter registration exam. She also worked to remove poll taxes, which made it harder for poor people to vote. Browder even drove people to the courthouse so they could register.
Aurelia Browder worked with several important civil rights groups. These included the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). She also worked with the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).
Browder v. Gayle
Her Arrest and the Lawsuit
Aurelia Browder was arrested on April 19, 1955. She was sitting in the "white" section of a public bus in Montgomery, Alabama. This happened about eight months before Rosa Parks was arrested. It was also a month after Claudette Colvin's arrest. Browder was found guilty and had to pay a fine.
On February 1, 1956, a lawyer named Fred Gray filed a lawsuit. He was the attorney for the Montgomery Improvement Association. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court. It was on behalf of five Black women who had faced unfair treatment on buses. Thurgood Marshall and Robert L. Carter from the NAACP Legal Defense Fund also joined the case.
The People Involved
The lawsuit was called Browder v. Gayle. It listed five women as the main people bringing the case. They were Aurelia Browder, Claudette Colvin, Susie McDonald, Jeanetta Reese, and Mary Louise Smith. Aurelia Browder was chosen as the main plaintiff because of her age. She was 37 years old. This made her a good representative for all the women involved. The other plaintiffs included teenagers and older adults.
Jeanetta Reese later left the case. She faced threats from the white community. The main person the lawsuit was filed against was William A. Gayle. He was the Mayor of Montgomery. Other defendants included the police chief, city officials, and the bus company.
The Court's Decision
On June 5, 1956, the judges made their decision. They ruled that segregated buses were against the law. They said it violated the Fourteenth Amendment. This part of the Constitution says everyone should be treated equally. The court said Montgomery could not make Black people sit separately on buses.
Both the city and the state disagreed with this decision. They appealed it to a higher court. But on December 17, 1956, the Supreme Court agreed with the earlier ruling. They ordered Alabama to end bus segregation. The Browder v. Gayle court case was very important. It officially made segregation laws on buses unconstitutional.
Montgomery Bus Boycott
The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a major protest. It did not happen suddenly. Many groups in Montgomery had been planning for a long time. These groups included the NAACP, MIA, and the Women's Political Council (WPC). They were waiting for the right moment to start.
After several women, including Aurelia Browder, refused to give up their seats, the boycott began. The spark for the boycott was when Rosa Parks was arrested. The boycott started on December 3, 1955. This was two days after Rosa Parks' arrest. Jo Ann Gibson Robinson was a main leader of the boycott.
The boycott lasted for over a year. It brought national attention to the fight against segregation. It also put pressure on the courts to rule against segregation. The Browder v. Gayle case was the less public side of this protest. The Montgomery Improvement Association filed Browder's case instead of Parks'. This was because Browder's case could go directly to a higher court. Parks' case would have had to go through local courts first. This could have taken many years.
The boycott ended because of the Browder v. Gayle ruling. This fact is often forgotten. While the Montgomery bus boycott gained national attention, it was Browder's court case that made segregation laws illegal.
Later Life
Aurelia Browder continued to be an activist. She stayed involved with the NAACP, MIA, and SCLC. She also taught veterans at the Loveless School. Later in her life, she started her own business.
Browder's son, Butler Browder, still lives in Montgomery. He feels that his mother's important work has not been fully recognized. In a 2005 newspaper article, Butler wrote, "The truth is Browder vs. Gayle changed the laws that ordered bus segregation. If it weren't for that case and continued efforts to end segregation in this country, we might still be marching."
Commemoration
In 2019, a statue of Rosa Parks was unveiled in Montgomery, Alabama. On the same day, four granite markers were also placed near the statue. These markers honored the four main plaintiffs in Browder v. Gayle. Aurelia Browder was one of these honored women.
See also
