Racial segregation in public transportation was a pervasive and discriminatory practice that existed in the United States for many years, particularly in the southern states. The most well-known form of segregation in public transportation was the segregation of buses, which enforced separate seating areas for Black and white passengers.

One of the most iconic acts of resistance against segregated buses was the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955-1956 in Montgomery, Alabama. The boycott was sparked by the arrest of Rosa Parks, a Black woman who refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a city bus. The boycott, led by civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr., lasted for over a year and brought national attention to the issue of racial segregation in public transportation.

In 1961, the Freedom Riders, a group of civil rights activists, challenged segregated bus facilities and seating in the South by riding integrated buses from Washington, D.C. to New Orleans, Louisiana. The Freedom Riders faced violence and arrest along their journey, but their actions drew attention to the injustice of segregation in transportation.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 eventually outlawed racial segregation in all public accommodations, including public transportation. This landmark legislation was a major victory in the fight against institutionalized racism and discrimination in the United States.