She was arrested because she refused to give up her seat, and make room for a white passenger who had gotten on the bus after her. Parks, who was a civil rights activist at the time, was not the first activist to have been involved in racial run-ins with the law; other female racial non-conformers of the time include Irene Morgan, Sara Louise Keys, and Claudette Colvin. What made Rosa Park’s racial non-conformity so significant was the fact that her actions played a vital role in sparking the Montgomery bus boycott. Rosa Parks was born Rosa Louise McCauley to James McCauley, and Leona Edwards of Tuskegee, Alabama. She was of African-American, and Scots-Irish ancestry.
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).
Even though there were strict consequences for Parks she did not give into threats and yelling of the bus driver. Rosa Parks stood up for that she believed in and made a change. On December 1st, 1955 Rosa Parks took her seat on the bus after a long grueling day at work. Soon after a couple stops were made and more white passengers boarded the bus, the bus driver told Rosa to get up and move so that there were more seats for the white people. Rosa paid no attention to the driver speaking towards her and continued to look out the window.
Rosa Parks Rosa Parks was born February 4, 1913. She was a civil rights activist whom the people called “the first lady of civil rights” they also called her “the mother of the freedom movement.” Park’s act of defiance became important symbols of the modern civil rights movement. On December 1, 1955, she was coming home from work and got on a city bus in Montgomery, Alabama. In this day in time the bus was separated by blacks and whites. Blacks were in the back, and whites in the front.
As expressed by Dr. Leary, most African Americans seem to have internalized a sense of shame and believe that they are not good enough. An individual with such low self-esteem and self-worth ability to function in society is therefore lessened. This internalized sense of shame led most black people to look down on their own appearance. When an individual has strong black features such as a big nose, full lips, defined facial structure, kinky hair and dark skin, they are generally not considered attractive by other blacks. Dating back to slave days, when the lighter skinned slaves (women) were used as house slaves and darker skinned slaves were sent to work outdoors.
In the year of 1955 there was a city ordinance which stated that African Americans had to relinquish their seats on a train or bus if a white man asked for them to and also the rule further stated that black people were not allowed to sit parallel on a bus to any white person. When a white man approached Rosa Parks and told her that he wanted her seat she simply told the man no; the bus driver then told her to move as well and she also told the bus driver no. Even when she was threatened with being arrested, she still continued to sit there and remained calm. When the bus stopped at the next bust stop the man called the police and Parks was then arrested. In response to this Pastor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., organized the Montgomery bus boycott.
Separate is Not Equal Separate is Not Equal Imagine being a black woman. It is late at night and you just got off your shift of being a nurse. Waiting for the bus, you are eager to sit down and rest your feet until you make it home. As you get on the bus, the only available seat is up front behind the bus driver. As you sit down, the bus stops to pick up someone else.
Key Features The official start of the boycott was on December 1st 1955. Rosa Parks, a black seamstress, had refused to give up her seat to a white man on the Montgomery Bus service. Rosa Parks was an educated woman, a long-time member of the NAACP and had completed a course on “Race Relations” in the Highlander Folk School, Tennessee. She was subsequently arrested, which sparked outrage among the black community. The MIA(Montgomery Improvement Association) was formed with Martin Luther King as president.
Separate but Unequal: The Fight to End Desegregation Segregation is the act or practice of setting groups of people apart from each based on the pigment of their skin, which is unjust and immoral. A man needs food, water, shelter, and medicine, regardless if they are black or white. In the United States after the Civil War, American society was segregated. Segregation of public places such as restaurants, buses, and schools were allowed. The separating of black and white has caused many problems in society and these inequalities are still felt today.
Examples of the environmental justice issues were inferior educational opportunities and poor housing accommodations. The housing facilities that were occupied by Puerto Ricans were infested with lead contamination. This caused many health issues within the Puerto Rican communities, this identified that the city had a lead poison problem. Other environmental issues that effected Puerto Rican communities in New York City during the 1970’s were poor sanitation services. Many of the city employees refused to provide sanitation services to the Puerto Rican neighbors, which would create numerous health issues.