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Although Rosa Parks incident ignited the Montgomery Bus Boycott there were many other incidents that led also led to the boycott. Many blacks as well as Parks became tired of the mistreatment and unfairness. This site brings forth others who experienced discrimination on the bus. Parks is the "face" of the infamous Montgomery Bus Boycott. Before the Montgomery Bus Boycott, blacks organized a bus boycott in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Mobile Alabama

This particular site allows us to read the speech Martin Luther King Jr gave while origanizing the boycott. Its fascinating to read the speech that inspired so many blacks in the iconic boycott. With his words, he managed to motivate blacks to fight for their rights in a peaceful manner.

This copy of the actual arrest record for civil rights activist Rosa Parks brings a realism of her struggle and her stand and her great courage. Seeing her physical fingerprint card and arrest record brings a sense the dedication she had for the civil rights cause.

This is the photo of American civil rights icon Rosa Parks meeting South Africa's icon, Nelson Mandela. The significance is how important each of these people where in the civil rights movement in their respective countries. Both of these people where arrested for their roles and their actions.

This image of the first African American President sitting in the same bus as civil rights icon Rosa Parks speaks volumes. The courage of her stand was part of the civil rights movement that brought about change and still continues to this day.

Rosa Parks never stopped believing in the civil rights cause. She continued to protest world racial injustice. Here is a photo of Rosa Parks protesting South Africa's apartheid.

Rosa Parks is an American icon for her stand against racial injustice and her protest of segregation. This shows her meeting with another icon of racial injustice and segregation; Nelson Mandela.

This site tells all who and what organizations were involved in origanizing the boycott. It shows how origanized and well put together their plan was. It moved efficienty and seamlessly. Over 90% of the blacks participated in the boycott finding alternative transportation, including carpooling. In the end, the blacks have overcome and was successful in obtaining equality on the bus. This boycott gave way for the whole civil rights movement.

Here is a site dedicated to the life of civil rights icon Rosa Parks. In viewing many of the photos of her later in life, one can get a sense of how powerful a symbol of protest she became. Seeing her posing with some of the world's most important people speaks volumes to how truly powerful and inspirational her stand against racial injustice was.

This site is rather short and to the point. Francisca Stewart summarizes what happened on the bus and how civil disobedience was used to make change. She also shared what happened in the years to follow, including the new rules that allowed both blacks and whites to sit where they chose. This site is useful to get a quick understanding of what the picture is about.

This site explores the impact of the Jim Crow Laws. It starts by giving you a brief background about the civil rights movement. It divides the US up by regions and discusses the right of blacks in each area, which is helpful in understanding what it was like where Rosa lived. There are many examples included for each state on how the laws were implemented. In Alabama, all passenger bus stations in this state operated by any motor transportation company shall have separate waiting rooms or space and separate ticket windows for the white and colored races. This was on top of separate seating areas once aboard the bus.

I chose to step away from Rosa and focus on Martin Luther King, as he played an important role in the civil rights movement. Dr. King actually became the spokesman for what happened that day on the bus. He used his powerful motivational skills to speak out against segregation during the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

I really enjoyed this site. The picture of the bus is only black and white and taken from the inside. This site offers a look at the bus from the outside and in color. I never knew the bus was displayed at Detroit Henry Ford Museum. There is also a picture of Rosa being finger printed. This site not only describes what is going on in the picture, but gives you background on Rosa, everything from her demographics to her fears and jobs. Definitely some interesting information.

This site depicts how Rosa turned the focus of the civil rights movement from court to civil disobedience. People started to protest more and boycott buses or other places that showed discrimination. The boycotting eventually led to federal courts ruling that segregation laws were unconstitutional.

The US Supreme Court to the case of Rosa Park's, actually never got a chance to hear Mrs. Park's case. Rosa Park's was arrested on charges of misdemeanor disorderly conduct, and appeared before judge John B Scoot. Her lawyer Fred Gray, immediately filled an appeal, but then realized that her case would not be upheld in the Alabama court system for years. Although Mrs. Park's case did not make it to the Supreme Court, her experience on the Montgomery Bus, largely aided the African American community to organize the bus boycott.  Four attorney's decided on a strategy in dealing with the bus segregation issues. Fred Gray, Thurgood Marshall, Robert Carter and Charles Langford, with a plan of action approached three other women (Aurelia Browder, Claudette Colvin, Susie McDonald and Mary Louise Smith). These women had also experienced abuse form the Montgomery bus system.  The women became plaintiffs in a federal civil action law against the city and Mayor W.A. Gayle. Affirming the District Court ruling without issuing a written opinion, the US Supreme Court denied the cities petition. Racial segregation on buses within state boundaries became outlawed, the city of Montgomery received an official order to desegregate buses in 1956. Although the four attorneys, and including the other four women may have provided legal change, this write up point out how Mrs. Park's determination, dignity and courage catalyzed the national Civil Rights Movement.  Heidi Beckles 

The "OnInnovation" website is a really wonderful extension of the Henry Ford Museum.  The Henry Ford Museum is located in Dearborn, MI, very close to Detroit, where Parks resided.  It is known for having restored and exhibited the actual bus in which Parks refused to give up her seat.  This website provides video commentary on the life and impact of Parks provided by museum curators.  The photo is displayed here under the heading "Rosa Parks: Civil Rights Hero." On this site, we see that Parks expresses her desire to possess the same qualities as Septima Clark, a woman who was also in attendance at a seminar Parks attended on civil rights.  This is the first time I have seen a website include this quote by Parks recognizing Septima's influence.

It takes a lot of courage to stand up for something that is morally right, especially in a time when standing for what's right was not popular, due to the results that would follow after. Rosa Parks in the year of 1955, as many know it, kept sitting to stand up for what's right, and furthermore human rights. Although she was jailed and fined, her bravery helped society in many ways, like the end of the segregated transportation law posed by Jim Crow. Mrs. Parks did not care about the odds against her nor the criticism; in an era of ample bias against people of color. This sites content is useful in exploring week two's image of race in America, because it places focus on how change "can" happen with just one person, in the toughest of social times. A focus on courage not just for self help but for all (as Mrs. Parks was a member of the NAACP; an organization up in arms with the Jim Crow laws) who were the victims and the conscious or unconscious offenders, a social movement that was another zenith to the ascent of man. Heidi Beckles

This site lists ten things that you (we) likely may not know about Rosa Parks: 1) she had been thrown off the bus by the same bus driver; 2) she was a life-long believer in self-defense; 3) her husband was her political partner; 4) many of her ancestors were Indian; 5) her arrest had a grave effect on her family's health and economic well-being; 6) needing to leave Montgomery eight months after the boycott ended, she spent the majority of her life in the North; 7) after two decades of political work, she received her first paid political position in 1965; 8)she was far more radical than had been understood; 9) she was an internationalist; and 10) she was a life-long hero and activist to Nelson Mandela.

Ever wonder what happened to the bus in which Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on December 01, 1955? It was found deteriorating, rusted, with broken or missing windows, and no engine or seats in a field. In 2002, Save America's Treasures awarded the Henry Ford Museum $205,000 federal challenge grant to restore the bus to its 1955 appearance. The restoration was successful and today it is boarded by (up to) thousands of visitors per day.