Montgomery, the birth place of Civil Rights

In 1955, an event took place in Montgomery that reshaped America. A 42-year old African-American seamstress named Rosa Parks, was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a public bus to a white man.

This simple act of civil disobedience incited a young black minister, Martin Luther King, Jr. to lead the year long Bus Boycott, the first concerted effort of the Civil Rights Movement. This event ushered in a new era of social change across the nation. New court rulings outlawed segregation and subsequent laws gave political power to King’s followers. In 1965, Dr. King ended the Selma to Montgomery Civil Rights March near the Capitol steps, a block away from his pastorate, Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church.

Montgomery has survived significant historical civil upheavals and is now a thriving metropolis with improved race relations and an industry that spans throughout the world.

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