Doctor Who: 10 Major Ways The Doctor Affected Human History

5. Playing A Role In The Montgomery Bus Boycott

Doctor Who Rosa Parks
BBC Studios

While a lot of historical trips are fun for the Doctor and friends to experience, this one was the exact opposite.

Series 11's Rosa saw the Thirteenth Doctor travel to 1950s America, where she met civil rights icon Rosa Parks. The episode explored some really mature themes, and was unflinching in its depiction of the appalling racism present at the time.

At the end of the episode, the Doctor, Graham, Ryan, and Yaz find themselves onboard the very bus where Rosa's historic stand against racial segregation took place. In a heartbreaking moment, they realise that they must not interfere while Rosa is being threatened by the bus driver, and subsequently arrested.

Of course, the Doctor knew that Rosa's arrest was a crucial tipping point that would lead to positive change within society. Still, the Doctor is always ready to stand up to bullies, so putting her and her companions in a position like this made for a scene that was incredibly tough to watch.

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Danny has been with WhatCulture for almost nine years, and is currently Doctor Who Editor and WhoCulture Channel Manager, overseeing all of WhatCulture's Whoniverse coverage. He has been writing and video editing for 10+ years, and first got a taste for content creation after making his own Doctor Who trailers and uploading them to YouTube (they're admittedly a bit rusty by today's standards). If you need someone to recite every Doctor Who episode in order or to tell you about the making of 1988's Remembrance of the Daleks, Danny is the person to ask.