Why Is Civil Disobedience Important To Social Change

Little did Rosa know that a simple act of courage would change the course of American history. That day she was arrested for violating Montgomery's transportation laws and took her to jail. She was soon released on a one-hundred dollar bail. A trial was scheduled for December 5, 1955. Her arrest brought a protest of seven thousand blacks in her community. Her community was small but every African American member of her town was sure to be protesting for her release that day. This protest rapidly started the creation of the Montgomery Improvement Association. The most involved and determined person besides Parks in this movement was Martin Luther King Jr. would call for a one-day bus boycott which ended up extending after Rosa was found guilty. Rosa was fined ten dollars. Rosa once again refused to pay any money and appealed her case. Rosa Parks and her husband both lost their jobs and were harassed and ridiculed for what happened on the bus. Most whites would say she made a fool out of herself and she embarrassed

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, one of the leaders of the local branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People [NAACP] refused to give up her seat to a white person on a segregated city bus in Montgomery, Alabama, despite being reprimanded by the driver (Schulke 166). Montgomery, Alabama was known for its terrible treatment of blacks. The buses in particular had been a source of tension between the city and black citizens for many years (Schulke, 167). As a result of refusing to give up her seat, Rosa Parks was arrested. Rosa Parks' popularity among the black community, proved to be the spark that ignited the non-violent Civil Rights Movement (Norrell 2).

On Thursday evening December 1, 1955, Rosa boards a Montgomery City Bus to go home after a long day working as a seamstress. She walks back to the section for blacks, and takes a seat. The law stated that they could sit there if no White people were standing. Rosa parks never liked segregation rules and has been fighting against them for more than ten years in the NAACP, but until then had never broke any of the unjust rules. As the bus stops at more places, more white people enter the bus, all the seats in the “White Only” section was filled and the bus driver orders Rosa’s row to move to the back of the bus, they all moved, accept Rosa. She was arrested and fined for violating a city regulation. This act of defiance began a movement that ended legal Segregation in America, and made her an inspiration to freedom devoted people everywhere.

The human race doesn’t take injustice lying down. Over the past hundred years, there has been many examples of people taking a stand for their own rights and freedoms through acts of civil disobedience, defined as “the refusal to comply with certain laws or to pay taxes and fines, as a peaceful form of political protest”. While a quick glance at today’s society does show a much more accepting and proper view of people of every race, religion and sexuality, our world does not come without its injustices. I believe that these major injustices keep civil disobedience extremely relevant in our current, modern world.

On December 1, 1955 a black seamstress, after a long and exhausting day at work, got onto a public bus in Montgomery, Alabama and sat in the back where the blacks were portioned off. A few stops following, a flock of white people boarded. They seized all the remaining seats in the front, except for one white man who was forced to stand as the seats were filled up. The bus driver ordered the four black people in the rear end of the bus to give up their seats to the white man.Three of the four stood up hesitantly. Rosa Parks, the work-weary black seamstress did not. She was arrested later that evening. She was angry at the hate and disrespect towards blacks and minorities. She had enough of the way the world has treated them and she knew that

In 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white man, which ultimately became the cause of her arrest that same year. At the time, only white individuals could have the seats towards the front of the bus because many public means were segregated. This lead to the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which was a civil rights protest against racial segregation on public transportation in Montgomery, Alabama. As stated by Clayborne Carson, the director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Papers Project and Professor of History at Stanford University, “the Montgomery bus boycott should be understood as the outgrowth of a long history of activism by people from different educational backgrounds and economic classes” (Carson 13). The Montgomery Bus Boycott was one of the key examples of protests that led to a series of change in the nation afterward regarding the rights of African American citizens.

On December 1st, 1955, the City of Montgomery received a nine-one-one call for a woman of color sitting in the white section of the bus; she refused to move to the back of the bus. This woman is known as Rosa Parks referred as (Mother of Civil Rights). After refusing Rosa Parks was detained and charged under Chapter Six, Section 11 – Montgomery City Code. She merely had a well-founded belief in upholding her dignity, and would not be treated contrarily because of the color of her skin. Her character and “quiet strength” stood firm as her instincts were to "stand up, do what is right," made the African Americans realize changes in the United States of America need to happen.

On December 1, 1955, a brave woman we all know by the name of Rosa Parks refused to give her seat to a white man on a Montgomery bus. She was arrested and fined. The boycott of public buses by blacks in Montgomery began on the day of Parks’ court hearing and lasted 381 days. The U.S. Supreme Court ultimately ordered Montgomery to integrate its bus system, and one of the leaders of the boycott, a young pastor named Martin Luther King Jr., emerged as a prominent

It is likely a cold day in December of 1955, when Rosa Parks steps onto a Montgomery city bus after a long day’s work. Sitting in the back of the bus, she may be passing the time by gazing out of a window, anticipating the relief of finally reaching home. Her thoughts are then interrupted when white passengers boarded the bus and found no available seats. When the driver asks her and other passengers to give up their seats, Parks does something strange- she refuses. A threat of arrest does move her, and Parks does not resist as she is apprehended and taken to a police station. Most people cite her defiance as her single contribution in catalyzing the Civil Rights movement. However, Rosa Parks was long involved with civil rights, and her efforts would continue throughout and after the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

In this essay, the significance of Rosa Park’s involvement in the Montgomery bus boycott will be discussed. The questions of how important the incident was at the time, the impact it had at the time and how it helped shape the way civil rights are today will be addressed. During the time of the bus boycott, segregation was a common and accepted concept, for black people to challenge this concept of segregation was unheard of and controversial. At the time the segregation was not only on buses but also were they ate, drank, shopped any everywhere in everyday life. For this to be challenged was extremely difficult because it was a part of the established culture.

As Rosa Parks rested herself on the front of a bus, a white male approached and ask if she could remove herself so he can take her seat. Rosa Parks declined for she had a long day and was tired. The man immediately noticed how reluctant she was and called the police to report that a woman is violating the segregation laws. As Rosa Parks was tired of being treated at a second class American she took matters into her own hands and peacefully started encouraging other to boycott public transportation. Many African Americans started walking, bicycling and riding mules to work. As the bus boycott continued the company started to lose business, realizing that 75% of their income comes from African Americans. The company also made threats to anyone involved in the boycott but Rosa Parks mentioned they will continue with the protest without violence no matter how provoked they may become. Ms. Parks soon took her situation to the Supreme Court saying the law for blacks to sit in the back of the bus was unconstitutional and unjust. The Supreme Court ruled in her favor and was declared unconstitutional on November 13, 1956. Rosa Parks proved that doing the right action will lead to the right

On December 1, 1955, Montgomery, Alabama Rosa Park was seating in the front row on a bus on her way home. During that time, African American was not allow to sit in front of the bus they had to sit in the back were the signs says “ for Colored Only.” The driver James F. Blake order Rosa Parks and three other African American to move to the back of the bus, but Rosa Parks refuse to move to the back of the bus. She said “I had felt for a long time that if I was ever told to get up so a white person could sit, that I would refuse to do so.” When she refuses to give up her seat she was arrest and fine ($10) ten dollar plus ($4) four dollar court cost. Rose Parks was not first African American to

Throughout history, many figurative historical people have used civil disobedience to protest unjust rules such as, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mohandas Gandhi. They striked and protest obediently and won their case in a peaceful manner. Martin Luther King described the civil rights movement as a time when the “people moved their leaders, not the leaders who moved the people.” If enough of us push together toward a new vision, the world will begin to move. Looked what happened. He did make a difference because he spoke what he felt was right. He didn’t do anything violent whatsoever and he still made an impact because he spoke his

On December 1, 1955, Ms. Parks was traveling on the bus after a long day of work when the driver of that bus asked her to give her seat to a white passenger. Parks’ unwillingness to give up her seat did land her in jail. After a few hours being in jail, Parks’ was allowed to leave with a bond. That was when the African American people started to boycott Montgomery's bus to protest her unfair arrest. The month they started the movement was winter, which made it hard on the people having to walk every day to work. However, it was not just the people going through some hardened time because the bus company did experience

When civil disobedience takes place among a person or group of people, a statement is trying to be made. There is a reason why these people are disobeying specific laws that were meant to protect them. They are trying to give their government a reality check on what is actually happening in their country. When government officials are elected or chosen and have power, they can easily abuse this power and become blinded by the realities that take place within their country. In an interview, Martin Luther King Jr. once said “I don’t think any society can call an individual irresponsible who breaks the law and willingly accepts the penalty” (Martin Luther King Jr. Speech). Dr. King explains how when people break