In 1955, Rosa Parks became a powerful symbol for the American Civil Rights Movement when she refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white passenger. Her refusal flouted the strict Alabama segregation laws and signalled to the authorities that Parks was taking a stand – or seat – against institutionalised racism. Her arrest for civil disobedience sparked a massive protest of the bus system and Parks emerged as one of the movements most important political activists. She remained a staunch campaigner for racial equality until her death in 2005.
