Sometimes, you have to stand up and fight for something. But other times, the fight comes to you. And when it does, digging in and staying put is often the boldest act of resistance.
On December 1st, 1955, a 42-year-old woman was arrested. Her crime? Refusing to give up her seat on the bus to a white man. Her name? Rosa Parks.
You see, back then in Montgomery, Alabama, segregation was still an everyday part of life. In fact, it was written into law. White people and black people simply couldn’t mix. And one pertinent example of this was buses.
The front of the bus was reserved for white people, and the seats at the back for black people. There were some (contradictory) laws around this, but it was also pretty much accepted as custom. This was the status quo.
And on this fateful day in December, Parks was sat in the frontmost row of the black section of the bus. All was fine. Except, a white man got on and had nowhere to sit. The bus driver, as was custom, decided he would maintain segregation and provide the man with a seat. He did this by instructing the front row of the black section to move further back, effectively adding a new row to the white section.
Of the four passengers in this row, three promptly did as they were asked and shuffled further back in the bus.
But one of the four refused. It was Parks.
She was tired. Not physically, but mentally. Tired of giving in. Of following these customs that were clearly wrong.
And so she stayed in her seat.
With the bus stuck stationary, it didn’t take long for police officers to arrive. After hearing what happened, they arrested Parks and took her away.
Word quickly spread throughout the black community, and then things escalated fast. On the day of Parks’ trial, thousands of black people participated in a boycott of the buses. Protests sparked throughout Montgomery.
And a group was even formed: the Montgomery Improvement Association. The man chosen to lead them was a certain Martin Luther King Jr.
The uproar spread across the state, across the country.
And just under a year later, the Supreme Court ruled that bus segregation was unconstitutional. The law was changed.
Chances are, you already know this story. It’s the perfect example of holding your own against forces more powerful than you.
And it’s a lesson for founders and marketers too.
When you think differently to the masses or to the people in charge, it’s easy to shy away. It’s painless to hide and keep your beliefs to yourself.
But Parks knew that change would only come about if she was true to her beliefs, if she made sure people knew about them.
I see a lot of talk online about “hills to die on” but realistically how many of those hills would people actually die on? When pressed, when questioned, how many of those people shrink back and do as they’re told?
When you do something different, there will be backlash. It’s inevitable. People will disagree. People will dislike you.
But the key is to keep on going. Keep on fighting.
And stay in your seat.
Yours radically,
Joe