Friday, December 5, 2014

In Midst of Current Protests, Day Marks Start of Rosa Parks Protests

   Just as our nation becomes more and more embroiled in racial riots -- protesting the killings of Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Eric Garner and others -- some pause to remember that it was on this day, Dec. 5, a full 59 years ago, when one of the most memorable race protests of all began.
   The Montgomery Bus Boycott. Just days after police arrested Rosa Parks for refusing to give up her bus seat so a white person could have it, the Montgomery Bus Boycott was launched. It would last 381 days. It would not end until after a court ruling in their favor, and until the city bus allowed blacks equal seating. The brightest star in the race movement, Martin Luther King Jr. -- who was a new minister in Montgomery at the time -- gained his fame by leading the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
   Of interest, this, as we consider that some of the current protesting has been violent: The Montgomery Bus Boycott was non-violent. It stands as a symbol that you do not have to burn down buildings and overturn cars in order for your protesting to spark monumental change.

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