“Each person must live their life as a model for others.” – Rosa Parks
Today, 55 years ago in Montgomery, Alabama, an African American, civil rights activist, Rosa Parks took a stand for her right that changed a nation. Striving for equality for all, she refused to give up her seat when she was ordered by a bus driver, James Blake, to make room for a white passenger.
In 1955, when racial segregation was highly evident, Parks sat in the “colored” section in the back of the bus after a day at work. When the front of the bus filled with white passengers and there were no seats left for others to sit at the front, Blake moved the “colored” sign in back of the row where Parks was sitting and ordered four people to move. When Parks refused to listen to Blake, he called the police. She was arrested, taken to jail and was bailed out later that evening.
Soon after 35,000 handbills were passed out calling for a boycott of the buses. As a result, African Americans refused to ride buses for 381 days.
On November 13, 1956 the United States Supreme Court ruled that segregation was unlawful. The next month signs on buses were removed and the boycott was over.
Parks died at the age of 92, on October 24, 2005. Even after the passing of Parks, her courageous actions on this day continue to make an impact, allowing people to have the freedom they deserve.
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