Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks was one of the most defining figures in the Civil Rights movement. On December 1, 1955, she was asked to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. She refused and was quickly arrested. Her actions sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott and it was said that her actions sparked the entire Civil Rights movement itself

As she was arrested, she asked the policeman why he was doing this. "Why do you push us around?" The officer's response to her was, "I don't know, but the law's the law, and you're under arrest." She was found guilty on charges of disorderly conduct and had to pay a $10 fine. After this, she and others decided to hold a bus boycott to protest the unfairness of what had happened.

They put articles in the paper and met at the local church to discuss plans. They decided to continue the boycott until black drivers were hired and the racial segregation on the bus ended. The next day, it was asked that everyone try and not ride the bus for one day. Walk, carpool, or get a taxi, but not ride the bus for one day. The boycott actually lasted over a year and severely damaged the incoming revenue of the bus company. They finally lifted the racial segregation laws. Following this, the entire Civil Rights movement began and the rest is history.