Racial segregation in public transportation has a long and troubling history in the United States. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, segregation laws commonly known as "Jim Crow laws" enforced racial segregation in many aspects of society, including public transportation. These laws mandated separate facilities and services for Black and white individuals, based on the idea of white supremacy and the belief in the inherent inferiority of Black people.

One of the most well-known examples of racial segregation in public transportation was the practice of segregating buses in the southern United States. Black passengers were required to sit in the back of the bus or in designated sections, while white passengers sat in the front. If the white section was full, Black passengers were often forced to give up their seats, even if they had already paid for their tickets.

Perhaps the most famous incident of resistance to segregated buses was the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955-1956. After Rosa Parks, a Black woman, was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger, the Black community in Montgomery, Alabama organized a boycott of the city's bus system. The boycott lasted for over a year and ultimately led to a Supreme Court ruling declaring segregation on public buses unconstitutional.

The struggle against racial segregation in public transportation was just one aspect of the broader Civil Rights Movement, which sought to secure equal rights and opportunities for Black Americans. Through acts of resistance, legal challenges, and grassroots organizing, activists were able to chip away at the system of segregation and pave the way for greater equality and justice for all.