A civil rights activist is an individual who participates in a civil rights protest movement, including, but not limited to students, artists, lawyers, celebrities, and even regular citizens. During the African American struggle for civil rights in the 1950s and 60s, many individuals became activists overnight. Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white woman on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Students in southern states, ruled by Jim Crow laws, organized sit-ins at local restaurants and diners. Poets, like Maya Angelou, wrote about the oppression of their people. Jackie Robinson had the courage to be the first African-American major league baseball player. Being an activist requires a certain degree of passion and bravery and the knowledge that your actions could result in violence, rioting, or incarceration.