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Local Grassroots Foundation: NAACP Formation
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was formed to fight racial discrimination and segregation through legal action and advocacy. Local chapters were critical in laying the foundation for future Civil Rights efforts. -
Rosa Parks Joins the NAACP
Rosa Parks joined the Montgomery chapter of the NAACP, working as a secretary and helping to document cases of racial injustice. Her involvement in grassroots advocacy played a key role in her later protest. -
Claudette Colvin’s Arrest
Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old African American girl, was arrested in Montgomery for refusing to give up her seat on a bus. While her case didn’t spark a movement, it showed the systemic injustice faced by the Black community -
Rosa Parks Arrested
Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white man on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. This act of defiance became the catalyst for the Montgomery Bus Boycott. -
Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) Formed
Local leaders, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., formed the MIA to organize the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Grassroots efforts, like carpool systems and community meetings, helped sustain the boycott. -
The Boycott Ends with Supreme Court Decision
The Supreme Court ruled that segregation on public buses was unconstitutional, marking a significant victory for the Civil Rights Movement. -
National Impact
The success of the Montgomery Bus Boycott inspired other grassroots movements across the country, including sit-ins, Freedom Rides, and marches.