Rosa's bail was posted by civil rights leader, E. D. Nixon. The next day, Nixon called a meeting with several leaders of the civil right movement. They agreed to call a boycott of the city bus system. Martin Luther King, Jr. was chosen to lead the boycott. The boycott was scheduled to take place the same day as Rosa's court appearance. In court, Rosa was found guilty and was fined $14. Rosa felt the law was unjust and decided to appeal the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Martin Luther King, Jr. told people that the bus boycott must continue until changes were made. The group asked for three things:
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to change the law that said African American bus riders must give up their seats to white passengers
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that bus drivers must be polite to all riders
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to hire African American bus drivers
The city commissioners refused these demands, so the boycott continued. As the bus company and downtown businesses began to lose money, the people of Montgomery began to bully those involved in the boycott. The protestors remained calm. Tensions grew when King's home was bombed. No one was hurt, but King's supporters were ready to get even. King told them they must continue the nonviolent protest.
After almost a year, on November 13, 1956, the Supreme Court ruled that the Montgomery segregation laws were unconstitutional. Because of her bravery, Rosa Parks earned the title "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement."
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