What one event sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott?

The Montgomery Bus Boycott was sparked by the arrest of Rosa Parks, who refused to give up her bus seat to a white man on December 1, 1955. Her act of civil disobedience was a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement, as it challenged the systemic racism prevalent in the segregated South. Rosa Parks' arrest led to widespread outrage within the African American community in Montgomery, Alabama. Consequently, this event galvanized activists, notably E.D. Nixon and Martin Luther King Jr., to organize the boycott as a protest against the city’s segregated bus system. The boycott lasted for over a year and became a significant catalyst for the broader civil rights movement, demonstrating the power of organized, nonviolent protest in the fight for equality and justice.