What significant protest was inspired by Rosa Parks' act of civil disobedience?

Rosa Parks' act of civil disobedience on December 1, 1955, when she refused to give up her bus seat to a white man, directly inspired the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Her arrest for this act of defiance served as a catalyst for the African American community in Montgomery, Alabama, to unite and protest the discriminatory bus segregation laws in their city.

The boycott, which began on December 5, 1955, lasted for over a year and was a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement, demonstrating the power of nonviolent protest and collective action. It was organized by leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., who emerged as a prominent figure in the movement during this time.

The other options relate to significant events in the Civil Rights Movement but are distinct from the immediate response to Parks' actions. The Freedom Rides sought to challenge segregation in interstate transportation; the Southern Manifesto was a document opposing integration; and the Civil Rights Act was passed several years later, in 1964, as a legislative response to the broader civil rights struggles, building on the groundwork laid by protests like the Montgomery Bus Boycott.