Awakenings (1954-1956)

Individual acts of courage inspire Black Southerners to fight for their rights: Mose Wright testifies against the white men who murdered young Emmett Till, and Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama.

Activist Unita Blackwell shares the motivating factors behind why Black Americans joined the Civil Rights Movement. From Eyes on the Prize: Awakenings (1954-1956).

Jo Ann Robinson, the president of the Women’s Political Council, prepares for the one-day Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott on December 5, 1955 - the day Rosa Parks would be tried in municipal court after her arrest for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white man. The community-wide effort pays off as witnesses attest. From Eyes on the Prize: Awakenings (1954-1956).

Donie Jones opens up about her experience boycotting Montgomery, Alabama's buses, and the assistance she received from white women after a day of protesting. Activist Virginia Durr, who supported Rosa Parks, speaks about the necessary relationship between white women and Black women. From Eyes on the Prize: Awakenings (1954-1956).