In January 1956, one month after the start of the Montgomery bus boycott, New York-based In Friendship was formed to direct economic aid to the South’s growing civil rights struggle. Founded by Ella Baker, Stanley Levison, Bayard Rustin, and representatives from more than twenty-five religious, political, and labor groups, In Friendship sought to financially assist grassroots activists who suffered reprisals for challenging segregation. During its three years of operation, the organization contributed thousands of dollars to support the work of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA).
Soon after its formation, In Friendship launched a fundraising campaign, asking 1,200 churches to pledge ten dollars per week to the MIA “for the duration of the emergency in Montgomery.” In May 1956, the organization joined with the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters to hold a civil rights rally in Madison Square Garden. Proceeds from the event went to the MIA and to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to assist “race terror victims.” In addition, $10,000 was deposited into the Victory Savings Bank in Columbia, South Carolina, to enable the bank to issue loans to needy tenant farmers.
On 5 December 1956, In Friendship held its second major fundraiser, a concert at New York's Manhattan Center to commemorate the anniversary of the Montgomery bus boycott. The U.S. Supreme Court had already upheld the Browder vs. Gayle district court ruling which mandated the desegregation of Montgomery's buses, but the city was not complying, and King and the MIA were waiting for the court order to arrive in Alabama before officially ending the boycott. In a 23 November letter to concert organizers Ruth Bunche and Aminda Wilkins, King described how boycotters were forced to walk to work because of legal bans on carpools and how drivers were being targeted for economic retaliation. He wrote, “These factors mean that we are unfortunately in grave need of funds for carrying on the most critical phase of our struggle.” He continued, “I can’t tell you how much the people in our movement appreciate and, at this very moment, need your encouragement and support.” The event, which featured Duke Ellington, Harry Belafonte, Tallulah Bankhead, and Corretta Scott King, raised nearly $2,000 for the MIA.
As the civil rights movement gained momentum, larger, more influential fundraising groups began to offer their resources to activists. In Friendship continued to support King’s work, securing a $4,000 grant for his trip to India and contributing $500 for travel to Ghana; however, by the late 1950s, funds had dwindled and donors were directing their contributions elsewhere. The organization disbanded, and Baker, Levison, and Rustin became involved with the newly-formed Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).