How Did Rosa Parks Impact The Civil Rights Movement

744 Words3 Pages
On December 1, 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama one of America’s most famous protests went down in history. After a long day of work, rosa parks refusing to give up her seat in the front if the bus eventually lead to a Bus boycott, leading her into becoming an activist. She started out with an indivisual protest that led to a large social protest and a Supreme Court case. The small protest led to a change in American life. The Rosa Park’s protest in Montgomery Alabama was on of the most important event of the Civil Rights Movement because it was one of the first victories for African-Americans in the movement, it changed the everyday lives of both African-American and White-American people, it helped Martin Luther King Jr. become one of the movements…show more content…
She boarded a crowded bus and sat in the row just behind the white section. Rosa Parks sat in the row with three African men, when a white man entered the bus. The bus was over crowded and the white man had to stand. The bus driver noticed and threatened Rosa Parks and the three men to get up. The three men got up without question, but Rosa did not. Rosa would not move, she was quoted about the situation and said “It meant that I didn’t have a right to do anything but get on the bus, give them my fare and then be pushed around wherever they wanted me.” (Friese 53)The bus driver then asked her if she was going to move and she replied saying no. He then said that he was going to have to call the police, and Parks said that it was fine. She was not going to give up her seat . The police came and Parks was arrested and escorted from the bus. That same night, she was bailed from jail by Nixon and Durr for a fine of $100. Her trial was set for the following Monday (www.africanaonline.com). At the time, Parks was not scared, and did not really think of the possible punishments. She did know that she could be lynched, man-handled, or beaten by the police, but she felt that what she was doing was right and she stood up for what she believed (Parks). Parks has said to have been, "...an experienced activist with strong beliefs"…show more content…
at its lead. The MIA helped change the laws of segregation in Montgomery and it is said it did so because it had no reputation. Not only was another association against segregation formed, but it is said that Rosa Parks and the bus boycott, "...helped bring Martin Luther King Jr. to the forefront as the movements leader" (Galliard). Not only did Rosa Parks bring a leader to the forefront, she changed a nation. Parks is considered as, "...one of the most enduring symbols of the tumultuous civil rights era of the mid-twentieth century" (Galliard). Rosa Parks started a revolution that changed the world for the better and is, "...widely known as the Mother of The Civil Rights Movement"
Open Document