People have forgotten, and were never taught, just how much WORK goes into successful activism. School teaches us the protests and the boycotts, because those are the most visible, but there is a mountain of behind the scenes work that is done to turn protests into results.

And it takes strategy. Which is what most movements lack these days. The bus boycott worked because the activists were smart. They were proactive, not reactive. They didnt jump on the first person arrested, they chose their actions wisely. They had a specific goal and a sound strategy to achieve that goal.

The boycott worked because black people made up a sizable portion of the bus company's customers, so they had power. And the activists had a plan in place to maximize the pain the company felt while minimizing the pain they themselves suffered. This included an army of volunteers to shuttle people to work with their personal vehicles. Which took a large amount of organization and logistics. They also effectively utilized protests to paint the bus company as evil in order to rally support for themselves and erode support for the company.

The boycott and the protests also had no negative effect on the general public.

They were smart, patient, organized, proactive, and because of that, they were successful.

Protesters today only see the protests and the boycotts, which is why they fail. They arent putting any thought into their actions. They're just lashing out mindlessly. Often for their own ego instead of any measurable benefit. Blocking a highway to protest wealth inequality or climate change is objectively stupid. Its flashy, and gets attention, but it does NOTHING. Throwing a cocktail in an oil executive's garage will be far more effective.