Susie McDonald facts for kids

Susie McDonald, often called Miss Sue by her community, was a brave woman who helped change unfair laws in the United States. She was one of the main people who sued in a very important case called Browder v. Gayle in 1956. This lawsuit helped end segregation on buses, which meant people of different races had to sit in separate sections.

Standing Up for What's Right

Susie McDonald was arrested on October 21, 1955. Her "crime" was breaking a law that said Black people and white people had to sit apart on buses. These laws were called segregation laws. Even though she was in her seventies and used a cane to walk, Miss Sue was not afraid to challenge these unfair rules.

She was a widow, meaning her husband, Tom, had passed away. He used to work for the railroad, and she received money from his pension. This helped her live.

Miss Sue was light-skinned, and sometimes bus drivers thought she was white. But she always made sure to tell them she was Black. This showed her pride and her refusal to pretend to be someone she wasn't, even if it meant facing trouble.

McDonald's Farm: A Safe Place

In the 1950s, Susie McDonald's family owned a special place near Cleveland Avenue. It was a pavilion, like a big open building, and Black people called it McDonald's Farm. This place was important because it was a safe spot where Black people could gather and have fun without worrying about racist violence.

Some stories from her family say that the McDonalds were able to buy this land way back in the 1800s because people thought they were white. This shows how complicated and unfair things were back then, and how people sometimes had to find creative ways to get by.

Honoring a Hero

Many years later, in 2019, a statue of another civil rights hero, Rosa Parks, was put up in Montgomery, Alabama. On the same day, four special granite markers were also placed near the statue. These markers were there to honor four people who were part of the Browder v. Gayle lawsuit, including Susie McDonald. This was a way to remember her courage and her important role in the fight for equal rights.