The civil rights activist who inspired the Montgomery Bus Boycott was Rosa Parks. On December 1, 1955, Parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger, an act of defiance against racial segregation in Montgomery, Alabama. Her arrest sparked a massive boycott of the city’s bus system, organized by civil rights leaders including Martin Luther King Jr.. This movement not only led to a year-long protest but also became a pivotal moment in the larger struggle for civil rights in the United States, symbolizing resistance against racism and inequity.