Racial segregation in public transportation has a long and troubling history in Black history. In the United States, segregation on public transportation was widespread and deeply ingrained for much of the 19th and 20th centuries.

One of the most infamous examples of this segregation was the policy of "Jim Crow" laws that enforced racial segregation in the South from the late 19th century through the mid-20th century. These laws mandated separate facilities and services for Black and white individuals, including separate seating areas on public transportation.

One of the most well-known incidents related to segregation on public transportation is the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955-1956. This pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement was sparked by the arrest of Rosa Parks, a Black woman who refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. This event led to a year-long boycott of the city's bus system by the Black community, ultimately resulting in a Supreme Court ruling that declared segregation on public buses unconstitutional.

Another important figure in the fight against segregation on public transportation was Irene Morgan, a Black woman who was arrested in 1944 for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white passenger in Virginia. Her case, Irene Morgan v. Commonwealth of Virginia, was brought before the Supreme Court in 1946, where the Court ruled that segregation on interstate buses was unconstitutional.

These and other courageous acts of resistance against segregation on public transportation played a significant role in challenging and ultimately dismantling the discriminatory practices that were once commonplace in the United States.