Thelma Glass (May 16, 1916 – July 24, 2012) was an American civil rights activist, noted for helping to organize the Montgomery bus boycott of 1955, and a professor of geography at Alabama State University.[1] She was also an advocate for geography education in Black educational systems.[2]
Thelma Glass | |
|---|---|
 Thelma Glass | |
| Born | Thelma McWilliams May 16, 1916 |
| Died | July 24, 2012 (aged 96) |
| Alma mater | Alabama State University, Columbia University |
| Occupation | Geography professor |
| Employer | Alabama State University |
| Known for | Co-organizer of Montgomery bus boycott |
| Spouse | Arthur Glass |
Early Life
editGlass was born Thelma McWilliams in Mobile, Alabama, to a hotel cook and homemaker.[3] She graduated from Dunbar High School (Mobile) and attended Alabama State University and Columbia University.[3]
She married Arthur Glass, a professor at Alabama State University, in 1942. She also became a professor of geography at Alabama State University in 1947, joining the Women's Political Council shortly after. [1]
Work in the Civil Rights Movement
editIn 1955, after Rosa Parks' arrest, Glass and the other members of the Women's Political Council, called for a protest against the Montgomery bus system, thus beginning the Montgomery bus boycott, a key action in the Civil Rights Movement.[3] Glass was appointed secretary of the organization in 1955.[3] The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Ralph Abernathy joined in the protests as well and worked with her. She helped create some 35,000 flyers to alert the community of the boycott and urge to walk or car-pool.[2][4] Soon she noticed every bus that went by was empty of passengers. Although there was sometimes violent retaliation, the boycott continued until December 20, 1956, when the Supreme Court ruled in Browder v. Gayle that segregation on buses was unconstitutional.[3]
Civil Rights Case Against Montgomery, AL Sherriff's Department
editIn 1987, Glass filed a civil rights case against the Montgomery, Alabama Sherriff's Department for alleged harrassment against her based on her race.[2] This came 32 years after her involvement in organizing the Montgomery bus boycott with the Women's Political Council.[5]
Glass, around 70 years old at the time, was a passenger in a car with two unnamed senior citizens. An Alabama State Trooper pulled the car over for speeding, although Glass claims in her report that the car had not been going over the speed limit. The police officer asked the driver to exit the vehicle, and Glass exited the passenger seat. The officer then is claimed to have pointed his weapon at her, ordering her to reenter the vehicle. After issuing a ticket to the driver, the officer departed.[5]
Glass claimed that her civil rights were violated and that the traffic stop was an act of harrassment against her and the other people traveling with her. The Federal Bureau of Investigation looked into the case, as well as the Montgomery County Sherriff's Office. The final decision on the case by the FBI's Civil Rights Division was that there was no clear evidence of a civil rights violation.[5]
Other Work and Late Life
editGlass does not have much of her work in the field of geography published, but she used this work to advocate for geography education.[2] After the Civil Rights Movement, she utilized her activism and career to visit and educate students in Black communities on geography and emphasize the need for adequate programs in their schools. She retired from being a professor in 1981.[6]
Glass passed away at the age of 96 on July 24, 2012, in Montgomery, Alabama.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b Adam Bernstein, "Thelma Glass, Alabama teacher at the forefront of civil rights activism, dies at 96", Washington Post, July 26, 2012.
- ^ a b c d Kobayashi, Audrey (2019-05-15), Barnes, Trevor J.; Sheppard, Eric (eds.), "Issues of "Race" and Early Radical Geography: Our Invisible Proponents", Spatial Histories of Radical Geography (1 ed.), Wiley, pp. 37–58, doi:10.1002/9781119404781.ch1, ISBN 978-1-119-40471-2, retrieved 2024-11-19
- ^ a b c d e f Denise Grady, "Thelma Glass, Organizer of Alabama Bus Protests, Dies at 96" (Obituary), New York Times, July 28, 2012.
- ^ Pippins, Erica. "Thelma Glass". The Montgomery Advertiser. Archived from the original on 16 April 2007. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
- ^ a b c ""My civil rights were violated" Thelma Glass's FBI file". MuckRock. 2013-03-28. Retrieved 2024-11-19.
- ^ Tullos, Allen (2012-07-31). "Remembering Women's Political Council Member Thelma Glass". Southern Spaces. doi:10.18737/M7QK66. ISSN 1551-2754.
Further reading
edit- Adam Bernstein, "Thelma Glass, Alabama teacher at the forefront of civil rights activism, dies at 96", Washington Post, July 26, 2012.
- Robinson, Jo Ann Gibson (1987). The Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Women who Started it: The Memoir of Jo Ann Gibson Robinson. University of Tennessee Press. ISBN 9780870495274.
External links
edit- Obituary, Montgomery Advertiser
- "Remembering Civil Rights Pioneer Thelma Glass", WSFA (news video)
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