What important role did Rosa Parks play in the Civil Rights Movement?

• A. Advocate for Education
• B. Segregation Protester
• C. Voting Rights Activist
• D. Bus Boycott Initiator

Answer: (D)

Rosa Parks is best known for her pivotal role in initiating the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955. On December 1 of that year, she famously refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. This act of civil disobedience not only challenged the systemic racism of the time but also served as a catalyst for the larger Civil Rights Movement. Following her arrest, community leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr., organized the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which lasted for over a year and significantly impacted the practice of segregation in public transportation. The boycott also galvanized support for civil rights across the nation, highlighting the power of organized, nonviolent protest against unjust laws.

While Rosa Parks did contribute to various aspects of the Civil Rights Movement, including advocacy for civil rights more broadly, her most significant action was clearly linked to the initiation of the bus boycott, making that the defining moment of her legacy.