Final answer:
Rosa Parks' refusal to relinquish her bus seat and subsequent arrest led to the Montgomery bus boycott, a nonviolent protest campaign against segregation. Under Martin Luther King, Jr.'s leadership, the community used tactics like walking and carpooling for 381 days, effectuating desegregation following a Supreme Court decision.
Step-by-step explanation:
Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr. were pivotal figures in fighting against segregation through nonviolent protest during the Montgomery bus boycott. Parks' act of defiance and King's inspirational leadership spurred a 381-day community action. Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white man and was arrested, which led to a mass boycott of the bus system organized in part by Martin Luther King, Jr. and other local leaders. The community's collective action, which included walking and carpooling, persisted despite challenges, materializing into a powerful statement against segregation.
An Alabama federal court eventually ruled the segregation ordinance unconstitutional, a decision the U.S. Supreme Court upheld, ultimately resulting in desegregation of the buses. This relentless advocacy not only demonstrated the effectiveness of coordinated, nonviolent resistance but also highlighted the strength of the African American churches and community in the struggle for civil rights.