Had Bob Marley written about Rosa Parks, he would have probably sang: Get down, sit down/ sit down for your rights.

On this day in 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man in Montgomery, Ala. -- leading to her arrest and the birth of the U.S. civil rights movement.

Here's the BBC story. Parks died last month and was buried in Detroit.

The Beeb story notes that several other women had carried out similar protests in 1955:

Claudette Colvin and Mary Louise Smith were also arrested for refusing to give up their seats and were among five black women whose federal law suit led to the Supreme Court ruling that the segregation was unconstitutional.

But Parks was seen as the best public face for a test case.

Here's a few related links:

Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self-Development

Montgomery Boycott - To see the amazing tribute to Ms. Parks by the Rev. Charles Adams at her funeral, click here, then on the video link.

There's one bizarre site called mbb50thanniv.com, which has Mayor Bobbie Bright stating: "Montgomerians are proud of our city's contribution to human rights." (?!?!)

Growth through repression?