Who Was Rosa Parks?

Up until 1955, all places in America had separate places for blacks and whites: different drinking fountains, different restrooms, different sides of the buses, schools, and even different neighborhoods.

But on December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, a local black seamstress of Montgomery, Alabama, refused to give up her seat to a white man. She was arrested and fined that same day for breaking a "city ordinance." This incident led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., many black people in Montgomery refused to ride buses. They,instead, carpooled, walked, and took taxis. Because of the sudden decrease of bus riders, bus companies began to lose money. In order to regain financial strength, the law changed for all people to be equal and for non-segregation.

Rosa Parks' refusal of her bus seat led to the boycott which led to legalizing non-segregation. She remains important in our society not just because of her standing up to unjust laws, but also, Rosa Parks fought for civil rights and gave speeches to teach young children about the history of our country.

You can read Julien G.'s related story about Dr. Martin Luther King.

Watch this video about what happened on December 1, 1955.

White House Commemorate Concert to Civil Rights Movement

"Jazz speaks for life," said Martin Luther King Jr. at the Berin Jazz Festival. "The blues tell the story of life's difficulties — and, if you think for a moment, you realize that they take the hardest realities of life and put them into music, only to come out with some new hope or sense of triumph. This is triumphant music."

During difficult times in the Civil Rights Movement, people would often sing to give themselves a sense of hope.

As a part of Black History Month, to celebrate music's effect on the Civil Rights Movement, the White House held a concert: “In Performance at the White House: A Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement.”

Performers included Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Bernice Johnson Reagon with the Freedom Singers, Smokey Robinson, Jennifer Hudson, John Mellencamp, Yolanda Adams, Natalie Cole, the Blind Boys of Alabama and the Howard University Choir.

“The civil rights movement was a movement sustained by music was inspired by the movement and gave strength in return.” said President Obama, our first African-American president.

Sources: nytimes.com, NPR
by Brigette W.