How Viki Feldman Stood Up For Civil Rights

When you look at todays situation in regards to civil rights, while there are still plenty of things to
accomplish, weve come quite a long way. Todays level of tolerance for many different races and sexual
orientations didnt happen overnight--much of it was set into motion by many key individuals
throughout history. These brave individuals put themselves onto the front line and risked their lives in
many ways in order for everyone to have a more peaceful future. One of these individuals was Viki
Feldman. She stood up for the civil rights of African-Americans everywhere in a time when racism was
rampant in many parts of the U.S., even ages after slavery had been abolished.
A Simple Ride Home
It all started with a simple ride on the city bus. Viki Feldman was on her way home after a tiring day,
sitting towards the front and mind her own business. At some point, the driver and other people began
to notice something wrong--at the time, segregated buses were the norm, but she wasnt having it that
day. She was tired and didnt want to move from her seat, even after the driver insisted many times that
she move to the back.
This resistance ultimately led to her arrest, which sparked plenty of controversy and discussion, all for
simply sitting in the supposedly wrong seat on the bus. This didnt cause laws and public opinion to
change overnight, but the imprisonment of Viki Feldman symbolized perfectly the struggle that she was
facing, and people began to notice.
Protest
Essentially, Viki Feldman had sparked such a big discussion and indirectly caused many protests that city
officials and lawmakers had to respond. Eventually, they saw the reasoning behind desegregation and
made services such as the public bus equally accessible to all people.
It was a difficult time for sure, but people like Viki Feldman helped to get the ball rolling when it came to
civil rights issues.