What Happened When a Bus Driver Allegedly Forced Black Men to Sit at the Back of His Bus like Rosa Parks

Two males boarded a Jefferson Traces bus in Fargo, North Dakota, however as an alternative of a easy journey to their vacation spot in Minnesota, they have been transported again to the peak of the Civil Rights Motion. And now, one of many alleged victims, Xavier Davis, is taking authorized motion.

It’s been nearly 70 years since a Montgomery bus driver ordered Rosa Parks to maneuver to the again of a bus. Nevertheless it appears historical past is repeating itself after the identical factor occurred to 2 males who are actually suing Jefferson Traces and the unnamed bus driver for alleged racial discrimination, KARE reported.

The incident occurred on July 13, 2023. That’s when Davis claims the bus driver approached him and one other Black man, ordering them to the again of the bus regardless of the corporate having a “first come, first served” seating coverage, in keeping with the lawsuit obtained by the Miami Herald.

This led to an argument between the lads and the driving force, however in efforts to diffuse the state of affairs and get to their vacation spot on time, the lads finally complied with the driving force’s orders. They then watched as different white passengers boarded the bus and selected their seat with out incident.

The lawsuit additionally claims the 2 males simply so occurred to be the one Black individuals on the bus, making your complete state of affairs extra difficult. In keeping with Davis’ legal professional, Samuel Savage, the 2023 trade had racial undertones paying homage to 1955. “Rosa Parks took a stand in 1955, refused to surrender her seat, and we’re not going again, not now, not ever, not in 2023, not in 2025,” Savage’s assertion learn.

To be anticipated, the bus driver tells a unique story behind the rationale he requested the lads to maneuver. 4 days after the incident, the bus firm requested the driving force to make an incident report. In it, the driving force claims the lads smelled like marijuana, in keeping with the lawsuit.

Moreover, a part of the go well with features a human rights investigation by the state which discovered possible trigger that Davis was actually discriminated towards, KARE reported. There isn’t any coverage by Jefferson Traces that dictates passengers board from the again of the car to the entrance, contradicting the driving force’s account.

So now, Davis is suing. He’s looking for $50,000 in damages. A Jefferson Traces spokesperson advised KARE that the corporate doesn’t touch upon energetic authorized issues.