Today in history

(Sources: Peace Buttons and War Resisters League Calendar)

December 5

1955
Five days after Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat the African-American community of Montgomery, Alabama launched their boycott of the city’s bus system.The Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) was formed to coordinate the boycott with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., elected as its president. Out of Montgomery’s 50,000 black residents 30,000-40,000 participated. The boycott lasted over 1 year (54 weeks) until the buses were integrated.

1955
The American Federation of Labor, which focused on organizing craft unions, merged with the Congress of Industrial Organizations, an organization of industrial unions, to form the AFL-CIO with a membership of about 15 million. George Meany was elected its first president.

1967
1,000 anti-war protesters try to close a New York City induction center. 585 were arrested including Allen Ginsberg and Dr. Benjamin Spock. Simultaneous demonstrations occurred in Madison, Manchester, N.H., Cincinnati, and New Haven.

1980
The United Nations adopted a charter for the University for Peace, Costa Rica.