Mary Louise Smith Ware is a Civil Rights activist, known for being arrested in October 1955 at the age of 18 in Montgomery, Alabama for refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus. Seating segregation on buses was backed by the law. Mary's arrest happened prior to Rosa Parks being arrested. In 1956 she was one of five women named as plaintiffs in a federal civil suit challenging local bus segregation laws. On December 20, 1956, the Supreme Court ordered Alabama to desegregate its buses. The suit inspired her to join the March on Washington in 1963.
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Church Affiliation:St. Jude Church
Role in the Movement:Mary Louise Smith Ware is a Civil Rights activist.
Birth Place:Montgomery, AL
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Place Lived as Adult:Montgomery, AL
Church Location:Montgomery, AL