Rosa Parks, an African-American woman, overcame personal and financial hardships as a result of defying Southern U.S. segregation laws by refusing to give up her bus seat to a white passenger. She was jailed for her defiance and was soon released. She lost her job as a seamstress when her case garnered publicity, but she rose to become a Civil Rights icon. Rosa Parks (born February 4, 1913, Tuskegee, Alabama, U.S.—died October 24, 2005, Detroit, Michigan) was an American civil rights activist whose refusal to relinquish her seat on a public bus precipitated the 1955–56 Montgomery bus boycott in Alabama, which became the spark that ignited the civil rights movement in the United States. Rosa Parks had been actively involved in the civil rights movement for years before her famous act of defiance. Yet it wasn't until 1955 that she opted to break the law, in order to expose its Rosa Parks (1913—2005) helped initiate the civil rights movement in the United States when she refused to give up her seat to a white man on a Montgomery, Alabama bus in 1955. Her actions Biographer Jeanne Theoharis, professor of political science at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, describes in this article written for the Library of Congress Magazine, vol. 4 no. 2 (March-April 2015):16-18, the recently acquired Rosa Parks Papers and how they shed new light on Parks and her activism. In 1932, at age 19, Rosa met and married Raymond Parks, a barber and an active member of the NAACP as well as the League of Women Voters. The couple never had children, and their marriage lasted Rosa Parks was born on February 4, 1913, in Tuskegee, Alabama, to James and Leona McCauley. Her early life was marked by the harsh realities of racial segregation and discrimination. Despite these challenges, Parks’ family valued education, and she attended the Montgomery Industrial School for Girls, which was founded by white Northern women. Rosa Parks smiles during a ceremony where she received the Congressional Medal of Freedom in Detroit on Nov. 28, 1999. Parks, whose refusal to give up her bus seat to a white man sparked the Students had to cut and haul wood to heat their classrooms, and a single teacher, Rosa’s mother, taught all 60 K–6 students simultaneously. Meanwhile, white children in the same area attended modern, brick schools funded by taxpayers. When Parks moved to Montogomery at age 11 to continue schooling, she found things were just as bad in the city. The family moved to Montgomery; Rosa went to school and became a seamstress. She married barber Raymond Parks in 1932, and the couple joined the Montgomery National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). When she inspired the bus boycott, Parks had been the secretary of the local NAACP for twelve years (1943-1956). Rosa Parks Rosa Parks was a woman with great confidence in what she believed in. She was a Civil Rights Activist who refused to give up her seat on the Alabama bus which started the 381-day Montgomery Bus Boycott. It helped start a nationwide effort to end segregation of public facilities. Later she received the NAACP’s highest award. Rosa Parks, a black woman, made a courageous decision that day. She refused to give up her seat to a white person on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Rosa had planned this act of defiance to take a stand against the unfair rule that segregated people based on their race. Rosa Parks wasn’t just an ordinary woman. Rosa Parks, a name that resonates with courage and defiance, ushered in a new era of civil rights in the United States. Her singular act of refusing to surrender her bus seat to a white passenger on December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, ignited a movement that would change the course of American history. Rosa Parks had to overcome personal and financial hardship as a result of her defiance to segregated bus seating. obstacles, and challenges faced by Ms. Parks Rosa Parks Day provides an opportunity to reflect on the progress made in civil rights and to recommit to the ongoing work of combating discrimination and promoting equality. 10. Legacy of inspiring activism. Rosa Parks’ activism and courage continue to resonate and inspire people around the world. However, in my opinion, obstacles or disadvantages can turn out to be rewarding due to Rosa Parks overcome her obstacle of being sent to Birmingham prison. Also, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. overcame the challenge he faced such as being treated unfairly on lunch counters due to his skin color. Rosa Parks chose to be arrested instead of giving up her seat and became a symbol of the fight against an unjust, racist system. She was nicknamed “the first lady of civil rights” by the U.S. Congress. The Early Life And Activism Of Rosa Parks . Rosa Parks was born in 1913 (February 4), in Tuskegee, Alabama. Her maiden name was McCauley. On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks sparked a revolution by simply refusing to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Her quiet defiance became a thunderous call for equality, marking a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement. Why Rosa Parks Matters. Rosa Parks wasn’t just an ordinary person; she was a symbol of resilience and bravery. Rosa lived to a very old age. He died on October 24, 2005 at the age of 92. She was 42 at the time she was arrested and she lost her job so she had to move to another place. In 1932, at age 19 Rosa Parks, the "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement" was one of the most important citizens of the 20th century. Mrs. Parks was a seamstress in Montgomery, Alabama when, in December of 1955, she refused to give up her seat on a city bus to a white passenger. The bus driver had her arrested. She was tried and convicted of violating a local ordinance. Her act sparked a citywide boycott of the
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