In December 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenge After her arrest, one of her closest friends, himself a Civil Rights worker, refused to let her sit in jail. It started when E.D. Nixon’s wife told him his friend was behind bars.
When Nixon asked why Parks had been arrested, his wife replied: “I don’t know, go get her.” Nixon, who had long been planning a boycott, now had a strategy for his plans. The Parks’ case could draw national attention to the now iconic Montgomery bus boycott.
Determined to end discrimination on Montgomery's buses, Nixon bailed Parks out of jail, using his house as bond collateral.
With Parks now free, Nixon explained his vision to her. “Miss Parks, with your permission we can break down segregation on the bus with your case. I’m convinced that we can do it.” The two activists and the Montgomery community did exactly that.
Our liberation cannot be achieved if we work alone. Take a moment to think about how you can support those working toward liberation in your community. You never know what flame you can spark just by showing up.