My resisting being mistreated on the bus did not begin with that particular arrest…I did a lot of walking in Montgomery.

When that white driver stepped back toward us, when he waved his hand and ordered us up and out of our seats, I felt a determination cover my body like a quilt on a winter night.

It is better to protest than to accept injustice.

People always say that I didn’t give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn’t true. No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.

As long as people use tactics to oppress or restrict other people from being free, there is work to be done.

I thought about Emmett Till, and I could not go back. My legs and feet were not hurting, that is a stereotype. I paid the same fare as others, and I felt violated. I was not going back.

The time had just come when I had been pushed as far as I could stand to be pushed.