Alabama v. King: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Criminal Trial That Launched the Civil Rights Movement

by Dan Abrams, Fred D. Gray, David Fisher (Primary Contributor)

"Poignant, sometimes harrowing." – Wall Street Journal

The defense lawyer for Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, the Selma marchers, and other civil rights heroes reveals the true story of the historic trial that made Dr. King a national hero.

Fred D. Gray was just twenty-four years old when he became the defense lawyer for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a young minister who had become the face of the bus boycott that had rocked the city of in Montgomery, Alabama. In this incredible history, Gray takes us behind the scenes of that landmark case, including such unforgettable moments

*Martin Luther King's courageous response to a bomb threat on his own home
*Poignant, searing testimony that exposed the South's racist systems to an worldwide audience
*The conspiracy to destroy Gray's career and draft him into the Vietnam War
*The unforgettable moment when a Supreme Court ruling brought the courtroom to a halt

Alabama v. King captures a pivotal moment in the fight for equality, from the eyes of the lawyer who Dr. King called "the brilliant young leader who later became the chief counsel for the protest movement."

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Social Justice, Race, Audiobook, Historical, Politics

384 pages, Hardcover

First published May 24, 2022

About the author

Dan Abrams is an attorney, author, Legal Analyst for ABC News, and substitute anchor for Good Morning America.

Early Years
Before joining NBC News, Dan worked as a reporter for Court TV where he became well known for his coverage of the OJ Simpson case. He covered most of the high profile trials of that decade including the International War Crimes Tribunal from The Netherlands, and the assisted-suicide trials of Dr. Jack Kevorkian from Michigan. Dan’s first job was working as an intern for the Manhattan Borough president.

Career Highlights
Dan is probably best known for hosting the programs Verdict with Dan Abrams and The Abrams Report as well as his coverage of the Bush v. Gore Supreme Court battles (where he was one of the first reporters to correctly interpret the opinion). He was also the Chief Legal Analyst for MSNBC before leaving to be an analyst for ABC News in March 2011. He is currently the Chief Legal Analyst for ABC News.

Author
Dan has published articles in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The American Lawyer, Yale Law & Policy Review, and is a regular contributor to Men’s Health magazine. His first book, “Man Down: Proof Beyond A Reasonable Doubt That Women Are Better Cops, Drivers, Gamblers, Spies, World Leaders, Beer Tasters, Hedge Fund Managers, And Just About Everything Else” was published in March 2011.

Personal Life
Dan was born in Manhattan.
Dan’s father is Floyd Abrams, the renowned First Amendment attorney (read his bio). Read the article about the Abrams family in the New York Observer

Books by Floyd Abrams
Speaking Freely: Trials of the First Amendment – 2005

Kampuchea After the Worst: A Report on Current – 1985

The Right to Know – 1985

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Talking about the Civil Rights Movement can be a touchy subject for many, though it is important to let it see the light of day to exact change. The authors in this book seek to discuss what they feel could be seen as the initial event that got the ball rolling. The trial of Martin Luther King Jr. for the Montgomery bus boycotts helped to solidify the movement and King’s push for passive resistance. As Dan Abrams, David Fisher, and Fred D. Gray argue, this trial helped to lay the groundwork for the movement and shows just how racially embedded many were in the heart of Alabama (and perhaps around the country).

Fred D. Gray was a young black man who sought to make a difference in the American South. His passion for equality helped to fuel his need for ensuring that he did not let his legal training go to waste. Gray served as defense attorney for Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, and the Selma marchers, all battles to protect the Black population from ongoing racist and segregation-era laws that were brutally enforced.

Gray was young when he was asked to represent King, who was a minister whose work with the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) helped develop a boycott of the transit busses for their poor treatment of Black riders, many of whom were treated like cattle and yelled at like dogs. While King would not outrightly admit to being the organiser, he did not deny being active in the movement that helped create change for the country.

In this stunning account of the Alabama v. King trial, Gray offers some great insights to things never publicly reported to help illustrate the struggles in 1955. From the banter prosecutors used to try trapping members of the MIA to reveal details of their meetings and how much King knew ahead of time, through to the ongoing verbal and physical harassment people of colour faced when riding the bus to and from work, the book sheds light on the painful truths of segregation in the South.

The authors provide stinging realities that came out in trial testimony and how the judge allowed a great deal of damning testimony, highlighting how far things would have to come, even after the recent Brown v. Board of Education to integrate and respect those of colour.

The book clearly explores many of the struggles of Blacks and the shortcomings Montgomery officials presented when trying to provide public transportation in the heart of the Deep South. Each chapter is thorough and detailed in showing how effective local laws were at suppressing the masses, depending on the colour of their skin. Key depictions of legal and social arguments help exemplify the depths to which issues of racism were clearly present and there was no attempt at trying to hide it. With great additional information by Fred Gray himself, the book has added strength and I could not ask for more. This is one book perfect for those who are open-minded enough to see just how bad things were.

Kudos, Messrs. Abrams, Gray, and Fisher, for a great look at a poignant case that helped shape a movement and opened the eyes to many.

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

[Porter Broyles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dan Abrams does not disappoint.

He has emerged as one of the premiere court historians. He knows how to tell enticing tales about American History that have their focal point in the legal system.

This book does not disappoint.

While a lot of the material is familiar to those knowledgable of the subject, Abrams' take of the issue from a legal perspective adds value. I would say that it is an unexpected value, but it is for his take that I read this book.

Abrams is one of those scholars whom I really enjoy. I do not expect his books to be 5 star marvels, but I do expect them to be 5 star entertainment books with solid scholarship.

[Kusaimamekirai · Rating 5 out of 5]

“In the sermon Martin Luther King had delivered to his congregation at the Dexter Avenue church a day earlier, he had discussed what he referred to as ‘this bus situation’. He related a conversation he’d had in which a man ‘discussed the peace being destroyed in the community, the destroying of good race relations. I agree that it is more tension now, but peace is not merely the absence of tension, but the presence of justice.... It is true if the Negro accepts his place, accepts exploitation and injustice, there will be peace...and if peace means this, I don’t want peace.’”


“A reporter driving downtown wrote of picking up an elderly woman walking to her job and asking her why, at her age, she was participating in the protest. ‘I am not walking for myself’, the woman replied, ‘I am walking for the young people coming on behind me.’”


If one takes a cursory look at the title of this book, they’d assume that Martin Luther King being the man on trial, is at the center of this story.
Yet in fact, as with much of the Civil Rights era, King played an important part as the face of movement, but so much work was also done by those history doesn’t remember as well.
Here we have defense attorney Fred Gray, at the time of the trial one of only 2 lawyers in the state of Alabama. Claudette Colvin, the black teenager who refused to give up her seat on the bus, predating the better known Rosa Parks. And perhaps most importantly, thousands of ordinary black men and women who for one year refused to ride Montgomery city buses in protest of the humiliating day to day treatment they were subjected to.
As this book primarily deals with the trial of Dr. King, we are exposed to the testimony from these black men and women as to what they had to endure.
Perhaps we all imagine what indignities they were forced to suffer but actually reading their first hand accounts is sobering reading.
In addition to a barrage of insults from white passengers and bus drivers, blacks would enter the bus, pay their fare, and then be forced to exit the bus and enter from the back.
Those that agreed to that humiliation would often find as they reached the back door that the driver would then suddenly pull the bus away, leaving them stranded and more frustrated than before.
This perhaps is nothing compared to the physical abuse of bus drivers who would grab, kick, and close the doors on black passengers exiting the bus.
The courage these everyday people showed in testifying at King’s trial is in and of itself worthy of respect but that so many of them, often poorly educated, also knew enough to deflect, obfuscate, and mislead in their answer to prosecutors seeking to link King to the bus boycott:

witness: ‘The persons drove cars and used the gas’, Erna Dungee responded.
prosecutor: ‘Persons driving?’
witness:‘That drove the people’.
prosecutor: Several paid men?’
witness:‘That is all right.’
prosecutor: ‘Who are they?’
witness:‘Persons who burned the gas.’

“After trying unsuccessfully to find out all the people who served with Lewis, the prosecutor asked, ‘What has the transportation committee done in reference to transportation?’. Lewis could barely believe the question. The answer seemed so obvious he repeated it as if to confirm he’d heard it correctly. ‘What has the transportation committee done in reference to transportation?’.
‘That’s right’.
He responded with the only possible answer. ‘We transported people’.”

It all makes for highly compelling reading (King would eventually be convicted and fined after a lengthy appeal, which he paid) of a seismic moment in America’s history.
Much like with most of the segregated South in this period, whites would reject compromise in favor of blunt force. Force that in the face of the love and magnanimity of the Civil Rights movement, would invariably turn against them as they lost the hearts and minds of their cities, states, and the world.

[Silly lil goose]

It was interesting at certain points, but I was never drawn to pick up the book and keep reading :(

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trial That Made Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Famous

83 people were accused of illegal boycotting Montgomery Alabama buses. Martin Luther King Jr. was the first to go on trial. This is an account of the trial. It put him as the leader of the movement and made him an international name. Good history.

[Alisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

5 stars for the incredible heroism of attorney Fred Gray, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and so many other civil rights activists portrayed in this book.
That said, the coverage of the trial itself, with transcripts from so many witnesses, felt dull and laborious to read through.

[Ryan H · Rating 4 out of 5]

While some chapters seemed like never ending court reporter notes, there were numerous new fascinating facts I learned about MLK Jr., Rosa Parks, and the Civil Rights Movement.

[Jasmine Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Told from the perspective of Gray, a member of the prosecution, he thoroughly recounted the trial with great intensity and diction. Fred Gray was the ninth black lawyer in Alabama born of a poor family in Montgomery. He was able to succeed because of his mother's constant encouragement and nurturing words that he could be and do anything. In what history recognizes as the Civil Rights Movement,  Fred Gray was established with key players from inception discussing course of action with Rosa Parks daily and an active participant in the MIA (Montgomery Improvement Association).

The trial that blazed the trail for the movement started because of the December 5, 1955 decision for unison in the black population. Dr. M.L. King as noted in the court trial docket was appointed a leader without his acceptance of the role due to being late to the meeting and became the creative, poised, boisterous, peaceful voice of the movement encouraging and requesting peace using love as the weapon to foster change. The bus boycott lasted for a year and was described as the following:  "The possibility that more than forty thousand people could go about their daily business without the buses for a year seemed impossible. But with ingenuity, sacrifice, and determination, a viable alternative transportation system was created and prospered."

Dr. Martin Luther King was the main defendant as accused of starting the boycott, but the goal of the defense was to establish a formative timeline of mistreatment preceding Dr. King's arrival. The book discusses at length meticulously and methodically the trial from witness testimony both for and against the defense, the key members of the boycott, and the timeline of initiation combined with explanation of jargon and vivid depictions of mistreatment and systemic racism on the black race specifically by the bus company. 

Although the outcome was predictable from Judge Carter, the aftereffects of the trial made history for Dr. King as well as the Civil Rights Movement. Fred Gray's work on subsequent cases, most notably Browder vs. Gayle would upend the Alabama vs. King's judgment, as this historic ruling began integration on public transportation in Alabama. 

Some excerpts from various people who participated in the trial as a witness for either the prosecution or defense.

Azbell, a white columnist for the prosecution,  covered the bus boycott since the beginning and was well respected by both Black and white communities. Years later, he would describe that night as “probably, in my lifetime, the most fired-up, enthusiastic gathering of human beings I had ever seen... I’ve never heard singing like that... They were on fire for freedom. They were on fire that at last this was going to be lifted off them, and I recognized that. There was a spirit that no one could ever capture again. And then King stood up... but they were peaceful... They were passive, and they called for law and order... “...and Jesus was there. It was a Jesus meeting.”

Henry Parker, the white pastor, was a committee member of the negotiations board appointed to work with MIA to resolve issues and find a settlement.
“Number 1 was the matter of courtesy by the drivers of the buses. Number 2 was the matter of seating arrangements on the buses, first come, first served basis. And number 3 was the matter of Negro drivers, operators for the buses..."


Robert S. Graetz was a white parishioner  appointed to the predominantly black Lutheran church. He was few of the white men and women to actively and publicly participate in the quest to end segregation being an active member of the MIA.

"If anything a white person who was helping a black person was seen as worst than a black person. We often had good reason to be afraid."

[Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Dan Abrams book complete and I must write another review to keep up my streak of commenting on all his books.

From an historical perspective, this is the most important trial that Abrams has written about in terms of its long term effects and impact on society. Bringing in Fred Gray to co-write the book is pure genius. Gray's firsthand perspective representing King from the inception gives us an insider's account that would be lacking had he not been involved in the writing.

This book does a great job of providing the reader with just the right amount of background to set the scene without overloading with decades of information about the racial strife in Montgomery.

The trial itself is lacking in excitement which isn't the fault of the writers or the attorneys - it's a simple fact that not all trials have that quality. However, I imagine as a spectator at the trial it was a highly rewarding experience for the mostly Black audience to witness their friends wreak havoc on the prosecution. Take this line from the book as a prime example: "But as the prosecution was to learn, the English language, in all of its nuances, provides plenty of hiding places for those clever enough to seek them." The testimony in this trial highlights how many of the witnesses in telling the truth were able to avoid telling the whole breadth of their knowledge on a subject matter. The reader is able to see how incredibly frustrating this proves for the prosecutors who clearly thought they'd be able to outwit all of the defense witnesses and get a quick guilty verdict. Through numerous witnesses, the reader gets accounts of some of the atrocities that Black passengers experienced on a regular basis riding on buses. The verbal and physical abuse, not to mention the psychological abuse, is deplorable.

I'm hoping that Abrams keeps up his pace of coming out with a book each year.

[Preston Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an in depth account of the Montgomery bus boycott and the courageous women and men who stood up in defiance of racial segregation and the indignity imposed upon them on a daily basis. The historical courthouse testimony and legal arguments are enhanced by the recollections of famous Civil Rights attorney Fred D. Gray, now ninety years old, who led the team of Black lawyers that defended the young Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This community that stood up to protest racism never imagined that their defiance was the beginning of the Civil Rights movement. “ All we ever wanted to do was be treated as human beings when we put our dime in the coin box. Instead, we created a movement that changed this country forever” There are those who would like to suppress or erase our Black history, I encourage you to read this book and share this historical account with friends and family.

[Tracy Backer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The details of this piece of history were new to me and it was so eye opening an enlightening. "King", as in Martin Luther King, is in the title, but the book really focuses on the thousands of individuals who made immense sacrifices and took huge risks in participating in the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the subsequent trial, referred to in the book's title. So many 'regular' citizens stepped up to fight for equal rights and equal treatment, and actually, sometimes not even equal, just not rude and abusive treatment. The authors do a great job of laying the foundation, providing historical context, and giving Fred Gray, a trailblazing Civil Rights attorney, a voice in the narrative. I can't recommend highly enough.

[kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting and quick read. A truely unrecognized yet remarkable man. I enjoyed learning this man's story and his fight for racial equity. When you read something like this you begin to understand John Lewis's comment that Freedom is not a state it is an act. It is not some enchanted garden ... where we can finally sit down and rest. And also Dr King's, "Peace is not merely a goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal." When King was asked when how long will it take until we get there he responded "Not long" Why does it take years and generations to arrive at peace and understanding??

[Checkthebook · Rating 4 out of 5]

You might think a courtroom transcript would be tedious and hard to read. This book is great! The author tells the story so well that I couldn't put it down, and I learned a lot about the origins and legal basis of the civil rights movement. Suitable for teens or adults. As I always say, our teens should shift to reading nonfiction after 8th grade. All high school fiction is sexual, except for the old classics. So, unless your teens are reading Moby Dick or Tale of Two Cities, you will want them to be reading books like this one, Alabama v. King.

[Meg Schwartz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is brilliant! It is challenging, inspiring, retrospective, and hopeful. Alabama v. King explores the beginning of the civil rights movement of the 50s and 60s through legal strategy, courtroom testimonials, and descriptions of local solidarity and perseverance. Reading this, I felt anger and shame at the depth and recency of ubiquitous, legally-mandated race-based segregation in the U.S. I also felt inspired by the power of movement building and solidarity to change the status quo. This book should be required reading for anyone living in the U.S.

[Kevin]

The perspectives of Fred Gray here make Alabama v King an excellent book for understanding the nuance and early history of the modern Civil Rights movement as it began during the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The detailed retelling of witnesses from the courtroom, the perspectives of leaders and their lawyers, and the views of white Southerners add needed context to the heroic but often misinterpreted Rosa Park's single-action narrative of the Mongomery Bus Boycott.

[Colette · Rating 2 out of 5]

I only thought this book was okay because it was a bit more in-depth than I had anticipated. It gave the exact dialogue and play by play of what happened in court. I was looking for a more broad understanding of this case, and then how it propelled him to become the national leader and hero he is known as today. But, I learned quite a bit and am glad to now know Fred Gray, an instrumental player in the Civil Rights Movement.

[Bryan Ens · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a hard time deciding how many stars to give this book. If my choice were based solely on the content and importance of the book, I would gladly give 5 stars. However, the writing was, in my opinion, rather "clunky". There were numerous times that I had to read a sentence 2 or 3 times to figure out the meaning as many of the sentences were poorly worded. That being said, I would still recommend this book as it records a critically important historical event.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dry, but complete account of the Alabama v King trial that lifted King to leadership of the civil rights movement. Ample coverage of the legal to's and fro's, and the laughable reliance on the law by the Southerners trying to hold on to their system - just trying to follow the law of separate but equal. Also a book about Fred Gray, the lawyer who guided the civil rights movement in many respects.

[Zathomas1930 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy reading about other significant figures involved in the Civil Rights movement surrounding Martin Luther King Jr. Fred D. Gray was King's very first attorney/counsel advisor. Fred wanted to fight segregation and racism anywhere and everywhere! He did just that. This is the second book by Dan Abrams that I've read, and he has done a magnificent job on both. He's becoming one of my favorite authors.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A remarkable history of an important chapter in the Civil Rights Movement, one that previously I had only encountered in other sources as a handful of pages or at most a chapter or two. Dan Abrams and the legendary Fred Gray have collaborated on the definitive history of the legal side of the Montgomery bus boycott and beyond.

[Claudia Sasso · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aprendí muchísimo del movimiento de los civil rights en Alabama liderado por MLK y Rosa Parks. Me encantó ver el rol que tuvieron las mujeres en un movimiento tan revolucionario y lo recomendaría a todo el mundo que le interese. Es todo ser en un courtroom, y por eso a mí se me hizo un poco pesado.

[Tyeisha Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Read

I found myself captivated by this book from start to finish. It is a refreshing different perspective of the civil rights movement. Events that seemed like a knee-jerk reaction are enhanced by learning of the thoughtful planning behind those moments. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about such a pivotal moment in history.

[Caroline Lampinen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to this as an audio book which is great because it includes an interview with Gray and he reads his own foreword (or introduction? Can’t remember)

More detail than I ever knew about this trial and Dr King Jr’s ride into the public eye. Fairly surface and quick to get through.

[Sharon Johnson]

A sad chapter in American history. Changed through the persistence and fortitude of many great people. I am so glad that Mr. Gray has gotten the recognition he so deserves this past July by President Biden.

[Lindsay Ferris Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Great read.
Facinating to get a deeper look int our justice system, in the south during segregation.

The whole thing was terrific to learn more about.

I was very intrigued with learning more about Attorney Fred Gray and his work.

[Colin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Exhaustive research on a major historical event. This book is an invaluable resource; however, court transcripts become repetitive. Perhaps these could be presented in the book in a condensed approach and preserved in their entirety in appendixes?

[Steve McArthur · Rating 3 out of 5]

not a great read but great history

An interesting subject but the detailed recounting of the testimonies were a little boring. This did not detract from the basic history of the beginning of the legal fight to overturn segregation in this county.

[Dayla · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fred Gray definitely has a story, but instead of concentrating on the MLK story, Gray should have been the focus. Deadly boring —the testimonies of witnesses not interested in helping the judicial system.

[Katey Psencik · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is written in meticulous detail that some may find tedious or dry -- but I ended up picking up the audiobook version of this, which made it more compelling, especially hearing some of Fred Gray's thoughts in his own voice. Dan Abrams does an excellent job of weaving together a complex story that could easily get lost in legalese, while also highlighting the voices of Gray and others involved in the Montgomery bus boycotts. A fascinating look at a piece of history I previously only knew surface-level information about.

[Charlotte Lapointe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took a while to read but it’s entirely my fault, because it’s a pretty easy read. Loved the storytelling, I felt like I was in the courtroom. I strongly recommend this book to understand the whole civil rights movement originating from Alabama