Bus Boycot

This Day in History: December 1, 1955

Embrace the Past...
 
Who would have known the impact one woman would have on history when she refused to give up her seat on a transit bus in racially hostile Montgomery, Alabama, December 1, 1955. Rosa Parks had simply gotten off from work late and paid her fare for a ride home. She boarded the bus, walked the aisle toward the back of the bus and sat down in the first row of back seats designated as the "colored" section. It was her determination to stand (or rather sit) her ground, when asked to give up her seat to a white passenger, that became a pivotal moment in American history.

The No. 2857 bus on which Parks was riding before her arrest
(a GM "old-look" transit bus, serial number 1132),
is now a museum exhibit at the Henry Ford Museum.

 In her autobiography, My Story, Parks said:

People always say that I didn't give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn't true. I was not tired physically, or no more tired than I usually was at the end of a working day. I was not old, although some people have an image of me as being old then. I was forty-two. No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.

Empower the Present...
 
Rosa Louise Parks is nationally recognized as "The Mother of the Civil Rights Movement" in America. Academic and learning experiences are available throughout the nation that focus on the attributes and legacy of Mrs. Parks: quiet strength, identity & empowerment, diversity & inclusion, civic engagement, leadership/mentorship and service. 

Enrich the Future...

A lot of change came about because of Rosa Parks. Her legacy lives on in the hearts and minds of all knowledgeable of American history. Hers was a singular act of bravery and vision. There are some who accept the changes brought about as a result while others will never be of acceptance.

Mrs. Parks, I salute you for your conscious decision to simply take a stand for what you believed to be the right thing to do. This is just one example of what happens when one person stands up or sits down for the rights of many. She is an example of the Voices of America!

Embrace the Past...

America fought! America won!

Empower the Present to Enrich the Future...

 

Are you ready to let your voice be heard? Are you a Voice of America: 

Of the people, For the people, By the people?