General Chat

Dear All

Hello

Hope you are okay.

Today, 55 years ago, an ordinary woman, seamstress Mrs Rosa Parks changed the course of history for the better by a simple action.

She refused to give up her bus seat for a white man in Montgomery, Alabama. She was arrested and faced a fine for breaking the segregation laws which stated black Americans must vacate their seats if there were white passengers left standing.

Rosa Parks's refusal to give up her seat on the bus provoked a boycott

Five days later, thousands of black citizens boycotted the buses in Alabama - to mark the day Mrs Parks was due in court. She was fined $10 (the equivalent of about $70 in 2003), plus $4 costs.
She challenged the verdict and the NAACP decided to use her case as a test against city and state segregation laws.

Later that same evening, the young preacher Martin Luther King addressed a crowd of several thousand at Holt Street Baptist Church and called for the boycott to continue.

Nearly all Montgomery's 40,000 black citizens took part in the bus boycott, which lasted for 381 days.

On 20 December the Supreme court upheld the decision of a lower court to end segregation on Alabama's buses.

Mrs Parks was sacked from her job and in 1957 left Montgomery for Detroit following harassment. She later became a special assistant to Democratic congressman John Conyers until her retirement in 1988.

Mrs Parks passed away in October 2005.
She left the world a much better place.

Take gentle care
Very best wishes
xx

Gentle nudge please

Thank you
xx

Thank you for posting this Elizabeth :)

Elizabeth, I saw the film some years back and found it very moving, good for her and her courage to take such action in those dark times.

Take care Elizabeth

Ann

A remarkable lady with great courage.

Its amazing how one persons actions can change things for the better for the Generations that follow...


what a girl!!


Nicky

Dear All

Hello

Thank you ladies for adding replies.
Its good to see.

Mrs Parks was indeed a very great lady.

Take very gentle care all
Very sincere wishes
xx

Rosa Parks must have been incredibly courageous to do what she did. The world would be a better place if there were more like her, willing to make a stand against bigotry and ignorance. An inspirational woman indeed.

Cath xx