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. Learn about the 10 achievements of Rosa Parks, the civil rights icon who refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger in 1955. Discover how she sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, challenged segregation laws, received prestigious awards, and inspired activism. Rosa Parks was born Rosa Louise McCauley in Tuskegee, Alabama, on February 4, 1913, to Leona (née Edwards), a teacher, and James McCauley, a carpenter.In addition to African ancestry, one of Parks's great-grandfathers was Scots-Irish, and one of her great-grandmothers was a part–Native American slave. Parks was awarded the Martin Luther King Jr. Award by the NAACP, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Congressional Gold Medal. The Rosa Parks Story, was released in 2002. The movie won Learn about the life and achievements of Rosa Parks, the first lady of civil rights and the mother of the freedom movement. See the awards she won, such as the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the NAACP Image Award, and the nominations she received. Rosa Parks has received the following awards: Springarn Medal (1979); Golden Plate Award; Presidential Medal of Freedom (1996); the Congressional Gold Medal (1999); NAACP Image Award for outstanding supporting actress in drama series (2000) Rosa Parks will always be remembered for her role in the civil rights movement. On 24 October 2005 Rosa Showcases rarely seen materials that offer an intimate view of Rosa Parks and documents her life and activism—creating a rich opportunity for viewers to discover new dimensions to their understanding of this seminal figure. The materials are drawn extensively from the Rosa Parks Collection, a gift to the Library of Congress from the Howard G. Buffett Foundation. Virginia Durr and Rosa Parks Parks received many awards and honors through the years. In 1996, Pres. Bill Clinton presented her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. "When she sat down on the bus," the president declared, "she stood up for the ideals of equality and justice and demanded that the rest of us do the The Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute Of Self-Development was established in 1987 to offer job training for black youth. In 1999, Parks received the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor, the highest honor a civilian can receive in the United States. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) also sponsors an annual Rosa Parks Freedom Award. Rosa Parks’s principled defiance established her as an international symbol of human dignity and freedom. Children from around the world sent her birthday cards, letters, and drawings. She was given many awards and honors, including more than forty honorary doctoral degrees from universities. 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 Who is Rosa Parks? Rosa Parks, born Rosa Louise McCauley on February 4, 1913, in Tuskegee, Alabama, is celebrated as a pivotal figure in the American civil rights movement. Her most notable act of defiance occurred on December 1, 1955, when she refused to yield her bus seat to a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama. 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 Rosa Parks occupies an iconic status in the civil rights movement after she refused to vacate a seat on a bus in favor of a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama. In 1955, Parks rejected a bus driver's order to leave a row of four seats in the "colored" section once the white section had filled up and move to the back of the bus. Rosa Parks was a devout Christian. Quote: "I would like to be known as a person who is concerned about freedom and equality and justice and prosperity for all people." -- Rosa Parks (See more quotes) # Rosa Parks: The Mother of Civil Rights # Rosa's Story Showcases rarely seen materials that offer an intimate view of Rosa Parks and documents her life and activism—creating a rich opportunity for viewers to discover new dimensions to their understanding of this seminal figure. The materials are drawn extensively from the Rosa Parks Collection, a gift to the Library of Congress from the Howard G. Buffett Foundation. Rosa Parks received most of her national accolades very late in life, receiving relatively few awards and honors until many decades after the Montgomery Bus Boycott. In 1979, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People awarded Parks the Spingarn Medal, its highest honor, and she received the Martin Luther King Sr. Award the Rosa Parks co-founds the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development with long time friend Elaine Eason Steele: 1988 Retires from Congressman Conyers Detroit office: 1989 First Pathways to Freedom ride: 1989 Bust of Rosa Parks unveiled at the Smithsonian: 1990 Rosa Parks has received numerous awards and honorary degrees including In 1932 she married Raymond Parks, a barber and member of the NAACP. At that time, Raymond Parks was active in the Scottsboro case. In 1943 Rosa Parks joined the local chapter of the NAACP and was elected secretary. Two years later, she registered to vote, after twice being denied. By 1949 Parks was advisor to the local NAACP Youth Council. 2. Awards Received by Rosa Parks. Over her lifetime, Rosa Parks received numerous awards and honors that acknowledged her courage and commitment to social justice. Some of the most notable awards include: NAACP Spingarn Medal (1956) - An award given to African Americans for outstanding achievement.
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