December 1, 1955: Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat on a bus
Ms. Parks' MPD booking photo
54 years ago today, seamstress Rosa Parks, 42, is arrested for refusing to relinquish her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama--an act that is in direct violation of a city ordinance requiring black people to ride in the rear of the bus. Three days after the incident, she was found guilty and ordered to pay a $10 fine, plus an additional $4 in court costs.
Ms. Parks was the secretary of the local chapter of the NAACP and her courageous act had been coordinated with chapter leadership to help spark a controversy that would capture the nation's attention at a time when black citizens lacked many civil rights guarenteed them under the Constitution. Ms. Parks was chosen because she was attractive, lacked a police record, and was female; all characteristics that were rightly believed by movement leaders to invoke sympathy and inspire others.
Parks was actually sitting in the first row that had been assigned to black people in the rear of the vehicle, but because the front of the bus was full, the driver demanded that she give her seat to a white rider. Her refusal to give up her seat, and the controversy that ensued, resulted in a local boycott, for which Parks and 88 others were arrested in February 1956.
In spite of this obstacle, the protest lasted more than a year, until the Supreme Court ruled that the Montgomery ordinance was unconstitutional under the equal protection clause of the XIV Amendment. On December 21, 1956, Parks was able to ride in the front of the bus.
More important, however, Parks' act of civil disobedience inspired a nationwide civil rights movement that would last almost a decade. In 1964, protesters were victorious when Congress passed the Civil Rights Act, which guaranteed full access to all public facilities throughout the nation.
Years later, the actual bus was found by Montgomery leaders
The actual bus was restored to its 1955 appearance and placed on public display in Montgomery
Having later left Alabama for the north, Rosa Parks died on October 24, 2005 at her home in Michigan. Three days later the U.S. Senate passed a resolution to honor Parks by allowing her body to lie in honor in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. Ms. Parks lying in state in the Capitol was the first and only time a non-military or elected official was ever so honored.
If you would like to enjoy a well-acted cinematic portrayal of the 1955-56 events in Montgomery, this film does a good job. Shot in and around Montgomery, it fairly captures the emotions and significance of the boycott.
