The historical figure known as the "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement" is Rosa Parks. Her courageous act of refusing to give up her bus seat to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama, on December 1, 1955, became a pivotal moment in the fight against racial segregation. This act of defiance led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which lasted over a year and galvanized the Civil Rights Movement. Parks' bravery inspired many others to take a stand against injustice, solidifying her legacy as a symbol of resistance and change, and highlighting the broader struggle for social justice in America.