Serving in the Women’s Army Corps in 1952 before Rosa Parks’ courageous act of defiance, which prompted a landmark Interstate Commerce Commission ruling against segregation under the Interstate Commerce Act, was a significant experience.

Sarah Keys’ story is a powerful yet often overlooked moment in civil rights history. Her courage in refusing to give up her seat and her perseverance in seeking justice contributed to the eventual ban on segregation in interstate bus travel. Her case, Sarah Keys v. Carolina Coach Company, was a landmark ruling by the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) in 1955, reinforcing the Supreme Court’s earlier decision in Morgan v. Virginia (1946).

Unlike Brown v. Board of Education, which was decided the same year, Sarah Keys’ case directly addressed racial segregation in transportation. It was one of the first ICC rulings to explicitly reject the doctrine of “separate but equal” in interstate travel, setting a precedent for later civil rights victories, including the Freedom Rides of the 1960s.

Her story deserves more recognition, as it showcases the courage of Black women in the military and the role of legal action in dismantling segregation.