Stand up for what you believe, even if you have to sit

This year, December 1 will be the 65^th anniversary of the day that Rosa Parks an American Civil Rights hero, took a stand by taking a seat.

It all began In Montgomery, Alabama, on December 1, 1955. After a long day at work, Ms. Parks hopped onto a bus. Since the seats in the bus were sectioned by color, she took her seat in the ‘colored’ section. As she sat on the Cleveland Avenue bus, the bus began to fill up with many people.

At the time, a Montgomery City ordinance allowed bus drivers to assign seating, but not to command passengers to give up their seats. As a rule, it was expected that black passengers give up their seats to white passengers when the bus became full. If they failed to follow this rule, they could be arrested and could be fined.

When the bus driver told Ms. Parks that she needed to give up her seat to a white man, she said “No” and refused to get up. After all, she was tired of being treated this way and wanted to have her seat even after a long day at work. Police arrested her immediately and, on December 5, she was found guilty of violating the city ordinance and fined $10 plus a court fee.

By taking a stand, Ms. Parks influenced the Civil Rights movement, just by saying “No!” While everyone is now allowed to sit wherever they want on the bus today, there is still room to grow. Celebrating Rosa Parks Day is celebrated on December 1 in Ohio and Oregon, while California and Missouri celebrate Ms. Parks on her birthday, February 4, so if you don’t want to celebrate the day of her arrest, you can celebrate her birthday in two months, the California way.