The Bus Lady

 Rosa Parks – we have all heard her name. I have always thought of her as just the woman who refused to give up her seat on the bus and sparked a civil rights movement. I was set straight when I visited the Rosa Parks Museum in Montgomery Alabama. She was an early activist and in 1955, when she refused to give up her bus seat to some white passengers and was arrested, she became an icon. It lead to a year long bus strike which brought the Montgomery bus system to its knees. 

It just so happened that we visited the museum on February 4 which happened to be Rosa Parks' birthday. There were cupcakes involved. The museum traced her early years, her arrest – a lot of information on the bus strike. I took away from this museum a profound respect for not only Ms. Parks, but for the determination and courage of so many people who said 'Enough is Enough'.

Ms. Parks, for the rest of her life, continued being an activist and an advocate for civil rights.

During the bus boycott, there was an extensive ride share
that helped people to get to where they needed to be.

After hearing about all the horrible, horrible things that happened to African Americans, I found this picture to be moving. 

Artist: Jahni

Across the street from the Rosa Parks Museum was the Violata Pax Dove.  A pretty dove until you waked around it and found that it's head, the black area was nothing but a skull.

Being in Montgomery, there was a quick little run over to the First White House of the Confederacy.  Jeff Davis only lived here for a few months before the capital was moved to Richmond, but that didn't stop Montgomery from opening this house to the public.  

And speaking of capitals, this is the Alabama State Capital,
where the Confederacy began in February 1861.