As many know, a big part of the civil rights movement was the African American movement against segregation and inequality. Rosa Parks was an old, short, and peaceful game- changer for the black civil rights movement. As we discussed in class, Rosa Parks "stuck it to the man" and refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white person who needed a seat. Rosa Parks, like we all know, refused to give up her seat because she saw it as an unfair and unequal rule. She was arrested and jailed for her action which was a catalyst for the civil this movement against segregation and inequality.
Rosa Parks, when asked to move didn't comply and refused to do so. She said during her trial that she felt like she didn't have to. She had come from a long day at work and had been on the bus much longer than any of the other passengers. She felt that getting arrested was a sign that white Americans don't know how to treat people of color. This sparked a movement called the Montgomery Boycott. All African Americans boycotted the buses and refused to board. They all started to walk and refuse to give and pay money to the bus companies. The boycott led to bus companies losing many customers and it led to the huge loss of revenue.Winning in the end, Rosa Parks and her bravery led to the equality for all in buses all over the country. People could sit wherever they wanted and they have Rosa Parks to thank for that.
This is a very good post about a very important time in American history. Although this wasn't the first time blacks called for greater civil rights, this moment was one of the biggest ones. It is interesting that it took the petty action of bus seating for people to realize how segregation makes no sense, but nonetheless this was an important move.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Rosa Park's story is really inspiring, she was one of the first people to challenge segregation outwardly. Being a black woman, it must have taken a lot of courage not to give up her seat. While she became a symbol for the Civil Rights Movement, there are many other heroes like her. Another example was Claudette Colvin, a teenager who actually refused to give up her seat on a bus prior to Rosa Parks.
ReplyDeleteSource: http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2015/02/27/389563788/before-rosa-parks-a-teenager-defied-segregation-on-an-alabama-bus
I appreciated reading your blog about how Rosa Parks started the boycott and a movement for civil rights. I was quite curious, after watching the video about Emmett Till, why she sparked such an outrage rather than others who had been treated unfairly. I learned that she was a very active, respected member of the Montgomery chapter of the NAACP, and so her arrest was discussed throughout the city of Montgomery. While her lawyer was trying to appeal her case, the Browder v. Gayle case was decided, which declared bus segregation unconstitutional. Though Rosa Parks was released on bail, she was still eventually convicted of violating segregation laws, and was fined $14.
ReplyDeleteSources:
https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/rosa-parks
http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/rosa-parks