Many of us grew up in school learning the story of Mrs. Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott as a neat, tidy story of individual heroism. Mrs. Parks, a seamstress tired after a hard day at work courageously sat down, a young preacher, Dr. Martin Luther King, charismatically stood up. They inspired people to march, and change happened.
I've told the real story dozens of times to diverse audiences, and have been amazed how few know it. Understanding the truth beyond the myths can help us organize better against current injustices. So, here is the story as you may have never read it before with thanks to Jeanne Theoharis's The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks, Taylor Branch's Parting of the Waters, and David Garrow's Bearing the Cross.
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