Rosa Parks Bus in Montgomery, Alabama, 2000-2001, before Acquisition by The Henry Ford

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Artifact Overview

This bus, the site of Rosa Parks's stand against segregation laws, sat as a rusted storage shed before The Henry Ford acquired it and began a full restoration. Parks's act of defiance on December 1, 1955, sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which helped to ignite the Civil Rights Movement. Today, the restored bus survives as a reminder of her courageous activism.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Digital image

Subject Date

2000-2001

Location

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Object ID

2014.DS.1.15

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Legendary Auctions.

Technique

Digital imaging

Color

Multicolored

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    Inside this bus on December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, a soft-spoken African-American seamstress, refused to give up her seat to a white man, breaking existing segregation laws. The flawless character and quiet strength she exhibited successfully ignited action in others. For this, many believe Rosa Parks's act was the event that sparked the Civil Rights movement.
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    This bus, the site of Rosa Parks's stand against segregation laws, sat as a rusted storage shed before The Henry Ford acquired it and began a full restoration. Parks's act of defiance on December 1, 1955, sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which helped to ignite the Civil Rights Movement. Today, the restored bus survives as a reminder of her courageous activism.