A letter written from Jo Ann Robinson to Mayor W.A. Gayle of Montgomery, Alabama, dated May 21, 1954

The Women’s Political Council (WPC) of Montgomery, Alabama, was established in 1949 to increase the political leverage of the Black community by promoting civic involvement, increasing voter registration and lobbying city officials to address racist policies. This leading civil rights group, spearheaded by Black women, helped to initiate and sustain the famous year-long Montgomery Bus Boycott that began in December 1955. In fact, the WPC had been planning for a citywide boycott of buses long before the historic boycott of 1955. In 1953, after collecting hundreds of complaints from Black men and women, the WPC approached Montgomery city commissioners about unfair practices. One year later, on behalf of the WPC, Robinson wrote to Mayor Gayle asking for fair treatment on the city buses.