The Civil Rights Movement
Remember from our last lesson how hard life was for Black Americans after the Civil War under the laws that segregated people based on the color of their skin. Black Americans still did not have all the same freedoms White Americans did. Several public places still had separate sections for Black Americans and White Americans. People were resisting desegregation, but there were also people who were encouraging Black Americans and White Americans to live integrated together and share opportunities. There were several people who helped fight for equal rights for Black Americans during this difficult time. Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., and Ruby Bridges were three key activists during the Civil Rights movement.
Rosa Parks
Let’s start with Rosa Parks. Rosa Parks took the bus home from work at the Montgomery Fair department store. She sat in the first row of the “colored” section. As they continued driving along, a white man was left without a seat because the “white” section was full. Rosa and three other passengers in the front row of the “colored” section were told by the bus driver to get up so that the white man could sit down. While the other three passengers got up, Rosa refused to move.
For peacefully showing she disagreed with segregation, Rosa was arrested and was found guilty of violating segregation laws. However, it was because of Rosa’s brave refusal to give up her seat on the bus that another Civil Rights leader, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., was launched to the front of the movement.
