Rosa Parks,Martin Luther King Jr. andThe Montgomery bus Boycott

Rosa Louise McCauley Parks (February 4th, 1913 - October 25th, 2005)has been called the "Mother of the Modern-Day Civil Rights Movement." by not giving up her seat to a white passenger on a city bus.

The story began when Rosa Parks, after a long day of work, took a city bus to go home. She sat down in a spot in the middle of the bus. (Black people were allowed to sit in this section as long as no white person was standing.)

After several stops the bus was full and white people were climbing aboard. The driver ordered the black people to move to the back of the bus and they all get up, except for Rosa parks.

Rosa Parks was tired of being treated as a second-class citizen and although the driver continued shouting her to move, Rosa Parks refused to get up from her seat.

The angry bus driver marched to Mrs. Parks and demanded to her to move to the back of the bus, she didn’t and he left the bus and returned with a policeman. Mrs. Parks was arrested for violating segregation laws.

Upon hearing of Rosa Parks' arrest, Mr. E.D. Nixon, a friend and longtime civil rights leader, posts her bail.

Although Rosa Parks was not the first black person to be treated unfairly, he was determined to make her the last.

Knowing that the city bus system depended heavily on the African-American community, the black leaders agreed to call a boycott of all city buses.

Martin Luther King Jr. was chosen to lead the boycott.

King asked to the protesters to fight without violence.

United in protest, boycotters chose instead to walk, take carpools, pedal bicycles and even ride mules to get to work instead of board the buses.

They had three simple demands:

-Change the law that says African-American passengers must give up their seats to white passengers.

-Bus drivers must be courteous to all riders.

-Hire African-American bus drivers.

Though the demands were modest, city commissioners and the bus company still refuse to budge.

The bus boycott continued and the bus company began to lose money but the company doesn't change its segregation policies. Executives were convinced that the protesters couldn't afford to miss work and will be back on the buses soon.

Days turned into weeks and the bus company were forced to cut back on the number of buses serving the city. Also, the price of a ride increased.

Angry and frustrated, some of the white people of Montgomery began to harass and threaten anyone involved with the boycott. The protesters stayed calm and continued to follow the guidance of Dr. King.

Rosa Parks went to court with her lawyer. The judge found her guilty of breaking a city segregation law and she had to pay $14. Declaring that the law was unjust, Rosa Parks' lawyer decided to appeal the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Harassment grew worse as the boycott continued. Protesters received threatening phone calls and tickets for trivial violations; their homes were vandalized.

The violence reached new heights when one day, while Dr. King was at a church meeting, a bomb exploded at his home while his wife, their baby and a friend were inside. No one were hurt but supporters were crowding around his house. They were furious and ready to fight but King told them that they cannot use violence.

Finally, almost one year after Rosa Parks‘ refusal to give up her seat, the Supreme Court ruled that Montgomery's segregation laws were unconstitutional.

Although the boycott wouldn't have been successful without the unified effort of Montgomery's 17,000 African Americans, no one will forget Rosa Parks, the brave woman who led the way.

The next day, Rosa Parks, along with E.D. Nixon and Martin Luther King, Jr., took a city bus. Proudly, Rosa Parks takes a seat right up front.

Marina Estévez AlaminosEva Olvera Quero

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