2021 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 246
BY SENATORS BARROW, BERNARD, BOUDREAUX, BOUIE, FIELDS, JACKSON,
JOHNS, LUNEAU, FRED MILLS, PETERSON, PRICE, SMITH AND
TARVER
A RESOLUTION
To express the sincere condolences of the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana upon the
death of Martha White, a key participant in the 1953 Baton Rouge bus boycott.
WHEREAS, it is with deep regret and profound sorrow that the citizens of Louisiana
learned of the death of Martha White on Saturday, June 5, 2021, at the age of ninety-nine;
and
WHEREAS, despite the fact that Martha White was known for being outspoken and
unafraid to share her opinion, the transformative moment of her life involved a simple
gesture: she took a seat in the empty white section of a public bus, full of standing black
passengers, because she was tired; and
WHEREAS, that action by a tired twenty-three-year-old housekeeper, who walked
miles in sweltering heat to reach her bus stop, stood on the bus going to and from work, and
worked on her feet all day, served as a spark for the 1953 Baton Rouge bus boycott; and
WHEREAS, the 1953 Baton Rouge bus boycott became one of the nation's first
public transportation boycotts of the Civil Rights Movement and later served as the
framework for the famous Montgomery bus boycott led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; and
WHEREAS, Martha White's bold action was a stepping-stone on the path toward a
significant evolution of nonviolent civil rights protests in Baton Rouge and United States
history; and
WHEREAS, when asked about her actions on that day, Martha White responded "I
knew that what I did was for the good of everyone in Baton Rouge"; and
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WHEREAS, this sentiment is echoed by many, and according to Baton Rouge's
Mayor Sharon Weston Broome, "Martha White undoubtedly shaped our community in Baton
Rouge and communities across our nation"; and
WHEREAS, with the death of Martha White, Louisiana has lost one of her finest
daughters, a civil rights advocate, and a historian – a citizen who loved her community and
whose accomplishments have left an indelible mark upon her city, state, and nation.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby extend sincere and heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Martha
White upon her passing and does hereby offer prayers and hopes for peace and comfort for
those who mourn as we honor her civil rights legacy.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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