Gertrude Perkins and Rosa Parks: How Black Women's Protest Against Sexual Violence Sparked the Civil Rights Movement

Danielle McGuire's book, 'The Dark End of the Street', highlights the stories of Black women whose sexual assaults fueled civil rights activism in the 1950s and 60s. The Perkins case, which mobilized the Black community and emphasized the protection of Black women's rights, laid the groundwork for the Montgomery bus boycott. Women played a crucial role in leading the boycott, filling the pews, raising funds, and running the carpool system. The boycott can be seen as a women's movement for bodily integrity and dignity.