She formed the Women’s Political Council
Mary Burks’s journey to civil rights activism
An unfortunate twist in fate spiked her interest in civil rights activism. In 1935, she was arrested by the police for an altercation she had with a white motorist. Despite her level of education, she was racially profiled by the law enforcement officers who came to resolve the issue. This incident was one of the factors that inspired her to form the ‘Women’s Political Council,’ which championed civil involvement, voting rights, and compelling local authorities to address racist policies.
Though the Montgomery bus boycott was successful, it nonetheless had its rippling effects. Burks and other professors of Alabama State College had to resign in 1960 for their roles in the civil rights campaign; overall, 16 faculty members were sacked from the college. Burks is credited for organizing the students’ daily commute to school, which was met with fierce opposition from segregationists.
However, she and other activists helped to ensure the students’ safety by providing escorts and coordinating with local law enforcement. She also worked with the media to publicize the students’ stories and raised awareness of the struggle for civil rights in the South.
