SLS 21RS-3654 ORIGINAL
2021 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 246
BY SENATOR BARROW
CONDOLENCES. Expresses the condolences of the Senate on the death of Martha White,
a key participant in the 1953 Baton Rouge bus boycott.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To express the sincere condolences of the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana upon the
3 death of Martha White, a key participant in the 1953 Baton Rouge bus boycott.
4 WHEREAS, it is with deep regret and profound sorrow that the citizens of Louisiana
5 learned of the death of Martha White on Saturday, June 5, 2021, at the age of ninety-nine;
6 and
7 WHEREAS, despite the fact that Martha White was known for being outspoken and
8 unafraid to share her opinion, the transformative moment of her life involved a simple
9 gesture: she took a seat in the empty white section of a public bus, full of standing black
10 passengers, because she was tired; and
11 WHEREAS, that action by a tired twenty-three-year-old housekeeper, who walked
12 miles in sweltering heat to reach her bus stop, stood on the bus going to and from work, and
13 worked on her feet all day, served as a spark for the 1953 Baton Rouge bus boycott; and
14 WHEREAS, the 1953 Baton Rouge bus boycott became one of the nation's first
15 public transportation boycotts of the Civil Rights Movement and later served as the
16 framework for the famous Montgomery bus boycott led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; and
17 WHEREAS, Martha White's bold action was a stepping-stone on the path toward a
18 significant evolution of nonviolent civil rights protests in Baton Rouge and United States
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SLS 21RS-3654 ORIGINAL
1 history; and
2 WHEREAS, when asked about her actions on that day, Martha White responded "I
3 knew that what I did was for the good of everyone in Baton Rouge"; and
4 WHEREAS, this sentiment is echoed by many, and according to Baton Rouge's
5 Mayor Sharon Weston Broome, "Martha White undoubtedly shaped our community in Baton
6 Rouge and communities across our nation"; and
7 WHEREAS, with the death of Martha White, Louisiana has lost one of her finest
8 daughters, a civil rights advocate, and a historian – a citizen who loved her community and
9 whose accomplishments have left an indelible mark upon her city, state, and nation.
10 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
11 does hereby extend sincere and heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Martha
12 White upon her passing and does hereby offer prayers and hopes for peace and comfort for
13 those who mourn as we honor her civil rights legacy.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Ann S. Brown.
DIGEST
SR 246 Original 2021 Regular Session Barrow
Expresses condolences upon the death of Martha White, a key participant in the 1953 Baton
Rouge bus boycott.
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