The Invisible Leader in Montgomery 1955-1956
There was a powerful invisible leader of consequential significance in Montgomery during the bus affair, December 1955-December 1956. The invisible leader was unknown to the public. Visible operatives executed the strategy of their leader, who directed activities from behind the scene. The chief subordinate of the invisible leader was Martin Luther King, Jr. King was hand-picked by the invisible leader because of recognized qualities. The belief that an invisible leader existed surfaced five weeks into the bus undertaking. City leaders, and many citizens, were of the opinion that the youthful newcomer to Montgomery lacked the community status, credibility, or experience to garner a following of fifty thousand residents overnight and launch such a crusade. Politicians in Montgomery ruled out seasoned leaders in the community of the oppressed, E. D. Nixon and Rufus Lewis, as the boss to whom the young newcomer answered. The efforts of city leaders and supporters to identify and apprehend the invisible leader were unsuccessful. Several visitors to Montgomery concluded that an invisible leader existed, annotating their position in writing. Various concerns forced the consequential personality to function in the capacity of the invisible leader, while subordinates publicly implemented tasks. The bus affair lasted over one year, but the invisible leader went uncaptured. The chief subordinate of the invisible leader, young King, ascended to fame during the axial bus affair. The invisible leader who functioned and commanded from behind the scene remained in obscurity.
