- Racial discrimination: Parks lived in a time of legalized racial segregation in the United States, known as Jim Crow laws. These laws enforced separation between white and Black people in public spaces, including buses. Black passengers were required to sit in designated sections at the back of the bus and give up their seats to white passengers if the bus was full.
- Personal safety concerns: Parks was aware that she was taking a risk by refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger. Acts of civil disobedience like hers could lead to violence and retaliation from white individuals or authorities.
How Rosa Parks overcame these challenges:
- Courage and determination: Parks showed immense courage by standing her ground and refusing to give up her seat. She understood the significance of her actions and believed that challenging the unjust system was necessary to bring about change.
- Legal defense and support: Parks received support from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and legal representation from the renowned civil rights attorney Charles Hamilton Houston. This enabled her to defend against the charges and fight for her rights.
- Publicity and activism: Parks's arrest and trial gained national attention, generating widespread public outrage and sympathy. Her story became a rallying point for the civil rights movement, inspiring activism and protests across the country.
- Supreme Court ruling: Parks's case ultimately made its way to the Supreme Court, which ruled unanimously in her favor. The decision in Browder v. Gayle declared that racial segregation on public buses was unconstitutional, paving the way for desegregation of transportation systems.
- Legacy of change: Parks's actions played a pivotal role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a year-long campaign led by Martin Luther King Jr. and the Black community of Montgomery, Alabama. The boycott was a success and demonstrated the power of nonviolent resistance, leading to desegregation of public transportation.