Washington, United States
News Desk | National History
At the start of Black History Month, educators, civil rights organizations and public institutions across the United States are marking the enduring legacy of Rosa Parks, whose 1955 arrest in Montgomery, Alabama, helped ignite the modern civil rights movement. The annual observance is renewing focus on Parks’ role in challenging racial segregation and shaping U.S. civil rights law.
Rosa Parks was arrested on December 1, 1955, after refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger on a city bus, in violation of local segregation ordinances, according to historical records and court documents. Her arrest led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a 381-day protest organized by local Black leaders, including a then little-known minister, Martin Luther King Jr.
The boycott resulted in a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision in 1956 that ruled racial segregation on public buses unconstitutional. Historians widely regard the case as a turning point that demonstrated the effectiveness of nonviolent mass protest in dismantling Jim Crow laws.
Rosa Parks later said her decision was not driven by physical fatigue but by a refusal to accept injustice, according to interviews archived by the Library of Congress. She became a global symbol of resistance to racial discrimination and spent decades advocating for civil rights, voting access and economic justice.
Schools, museums and public broadcasters are highlighting Parks’ life and impact through educational programs and digital exhibits throughout February, according to announcements from cultural institutions. Federal offices and civic groups are also referencing her legacy in official Black History Month statements.
Rosa Parks died in 2005 at the age of 92, becoming the first woman to lie in honor at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, a distinction granted by congressional leaders at the time. Her actions continue to be cited in contemporary discussions about racial equality and protest rights.
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