Rosa Parks Home
Sitting Down
Arrested
Boycott
Dr. King's Speech
Boycott Works
Nonviolence
Court Ruling
Interview

Arrested

Rosa Parks has finally had enough of being treated as a second-class citizen. As an African American, she has put up with terrible treatment on city buses, as well as in stores, restaurants, movie theaters, and other places for years. She is tired of it. In fact, she remembers that twelve years earlier this very same bus driver made her get off the bus and enter through the rear door.

When the driver continues shouting at her to move, Rosa Parks decides that she is not going to take it anymore. She simply says no, and refuses to get up from her seat.

The angry bus driver puts on the emergency brake, gets out of his seat and marches over to Mrs. Parks. He demands that she move to the back of the bus. When she doesn't, he leaves the bus and returns with a policeman. Mrs. Parks is promptly arrested for violating segregation laws.

Upon hearing of Rosa Parks's arrest, Mr. E.D. Nixon, a friend and longtime civil rights leader, posts her bail. Nixon believes that the Montgomery African-American community must respond. Although Rosa Parks is not the first African American to be treated unfairly, he is determined to try and make her the last.

QUESTIONS FOR ROSA PARKS
Rosa Parks lived with segregation from the time she was born. Find out what it was like to have segregation be part of daily life by reading in her interview her thoughts and feelings on growing up in the South.