I read Ms. Kirkaldy's obit in the Philly Daily News yesterday, and was bewildered that I'd never heard of her before. The article said she'd just had surgery, and kicked the cop who tried to remove her. :p
Unfortunately, the Supreme Court ruling was ignored by most bus companies at the time.
Quote:
Kirkaldy also inspired the first Freedom Ride in 1947, when 16 civil-rights activists rode buses and trains through the South to test the Supreme Court decision.
In 2001, President Bill Clinton awarded her the Presidential Citizens Medal - the second-highest civilian honor in the United States.
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