Rosa Parks Was Arrested for Civil Disobedience December 1, 1955 Rosa Parks stood up for what she believed, or rather, sat down for what she believed. On the evening of December 1, 1955, Parks, an African American, was tired after a long day of work and decided to take a seat on the bus on her ride home.

In 1961, the Freedom Riders set out for the Deep South to defy Jim Crow laws and call for change. They were met by hatred and violence - and local police often refused to intervene. But the Riders' efforts transformed the civil rights movement.