Sarah Keys Evans was an African American woman who played a significant role in the Civil Rights Movement. In 1950, Keys was traveling by bus from New York to North Carolina to visit family when she was ordered to give up her seat to a white Marine. Keys refused to move to the back of the bus, citing her rights as a paying passenger. This incident predated the more famous events surrounding Rosa Parks and the Montgomery bus boycott by several years.

Keys' defiance led to her arrest and a legal battle against segregation. With the help of the NAACP, she filed a lawsuit challenging the segregation practices of the bus company. In 1955, the Interstate Commerce Commission officially banned segregation on interstate buses and in bus terminals.

Sarah Keys' brave stand helped pave the way for the larger protests and legal actions of the Civil Rights Movement, highlighting the courage and resilience of Black women in the fight for equality.