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Rosa Parks: Montgomery bus boycott

60 second histories

This video covers:  Rosa Parks explains how her protest and arrest prompted the Montgomery bus boycott which lasted for 381 days.

The Police came and placed me under arrest, a violation of the segregation law of the state of Alabama in transportation they said. I didn’t think I was violating any, I just felt that I was not being treated right, and that I had the right to retain the seat that I had taken as a passenger on the bus. I suppose the time had come when I had been pushed as far as I could stand to be pushed. I wasn’t afraid as they put me under arrest, I don’t know why, but I wasn’t. My trial was held on Monday fifth December but from the time of my arrest word had gotten around about my protest and on the day of the trial, black people decided they wouldn’t ride the bus. Instead they walked, shared cars or even used bicycles rather than take the bus. It was their way of protesting against the unfairness of it all and do you know the boycott lasted for three hundred and eighty one days, and almost put the bus company out of business.
Eras: 
20th Century
Topics: 
Black History
Civil Rights Movement
Character: 
Rosa Parks
Key words: 
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