Sarah Louise Keys
Sarah Louise Keys (born 1928 or 1929)[1] is a figure in the Civil rights movement in the United States.
A native of Washington, North Carolina,[1] Keys is the daughter of David Keys, a Navy veteran of World War I and a convert to Catholicism.[2] Keys enlisted in the Women's Army Corps in 1951.[3] She completed her training at Fort McClellan, Alabama, and was stationed at Fort Dix in New Jersey.[3]
As a Private First Class on 1 August 1952, Keys traveled from Fort Dix to her family's home in North Carolina. When the bus stopped to change drivers, the new bus driver demanded that Keys relinquish her seat to a white Marine. Keys, feeling tired, declined. She was arrested and spent 13 hours alone in a jail cell in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina. She was then ordered to pay a $25 fine for disorderly conduct.[1]
Keys was represented by attorney Dovey Johnson Roundtree in Keys v. Carolina Coach Co. During that time, Keys had been assigned to Fort Knox, Kentucky.[3] and was discharged in 1953.[1] The case was finally resolved in Keys' favor in 1955 by the Interstate Commerce Commission. Keys was working at a beauty salon in Brooklyn when the news broke. She had tried to keep her case a secret, but her photo soon appeared in the newspapers.[1] Later that same year, Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to yield her seat to a white passenger.
In 1958, Sarah Keys married George Evans.[3] She was invited to speak at the 1997 Dedication of the Women in Military Service for America Memorial.[3] In 2020, Roanoke Rapids declared 1 August to be "Sarah Keys Evans Day," and dedicated a mural depicting her story.[4]
The 117th United States Congress is currently considering a bill awarding Sarah Keys Evans with the Congressional Gold Medal.[5]
References
- ^ a b c d e Bell, T. Anthony (25 February 2014). "The quietly defiant, unlikely fighter: Pfc. Sarah Keys and the fight for justice and humanity". United States Army. Retrieved 15 Nov 2020.
- ^ Zielinska, Antonina (January 17, 2013). "Sarah Keys Evans: Civil Rights Era Soldier Fought for Her Rights". The Tablet. Retrieved 18 Nov 2020.
- ^ a b c d e Bellafaire, Judith. "Challenging the System: Two Army Women Fight for Equality". Military Women's Memorial. Retrieved 15 Nov 2020.
- ^ Waxman, Olivia B. (29 July 2020). "Years Before Rosa Parks, Sarah Keys Refused to Give Up Her Seat on a Bus. Now She's Being Honored in the City Where She Was Arrested". Time Magazine. Retrieved 15 Nov 2020.
- ^ "H.R.5922 - Sarah Keys Evans Congressional Gold Medal Act". congress.gov. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
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