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 (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. Civil rights activist Rosa Parks refused to surrender her seat to a white passenger on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama, sparking the transformational Montgomery Bus Boycott. Rosa Louise McCauley Parks (February 4, 1913 – October 24, 2005) was an American activist in the civil rights movement, best known for her pivotal role in the Montgomery bus boycott. The United States Congress has honored her as "the first lady of civil rights" and "the mother of the freedom movement". Parks work proved to be invaluable in Detroit’s Civil Rights Movement. She was an active member of several organizations which worked to end inequality in the city. By 1980, after consistently giving to the movement both financially and physically Parks, now widowed, suffered from financial and health troubles. Rosa Parks’ contributions to the civil rights movement . By the time Parks famously refused to give up a seat on a segregated bus in 1955, she was a well-known figure in the struggle for racial 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. After the bus boycott, Parks continued to participate in the civil rights movement. She attended the March on Washington in 1963 and in 1965 witnessed the signing of the Voting Rights Act . 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 The successful boycott served as an inspiration to black communities throughout the nation and established Rosa Parks as the "mother of the civil rights movement." Rosa Parks's Symbolic Bus Ride, 1956 Seeking a reprieve from the death threats and other pressures brought about by Rosa's fame, the Parkses moved to Detroit in 1957 to be near her Rosa Parks often credited Raymond with influencing her views on equality and activism, reflecting their shared commitment to the civil rights movement and the quest for justice. Net Worth and Earning: Salary. Rosa Parks, renowned as the "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement," dedicated her life to fighting against racial injustice. Explain how the Montgomery Bus Boycott affected the civil rights movement. Describe how the Montgomery Bus Boycott propelled Martin Luther King Jr. to national notice. AP Practice Questions. Rosa Parks being fingerprinted by Deputy Sheriff D. H. Lackey after her arrest in December 1955. Refer to the image provided. 1. Rosa Parks, while shying from the spotlight throughout her life, remained an esteemed figure in the history of American civil rights activism. In 1999, the U.S. Congress awarded her its highest When Rosa passed away on October 24, 2005, at the age of 92, people around the world mourned her loss. Her body lay in honor in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, an honor reserved for only a few great Americans. Why Rosa Parks Matters. Rosa Parks’ story is a reminder that courage doesn’t always come with loud speeches or grand gestures. In Racine, Wisconsin, in 2022, city transit buses kept a seat open to honor the civil rights pioneer on Rosa Parks DayImage: Mark Hertzberg/Zuma/picture alliance In 1998, various US states The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement, and Rosa Parks played a crucial role in its success. On December 1, 1955, Parks refused Parks’s place in the history of the civil rights movement has been recognized and honored by the nation. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1996, as well as the Congressional Gold Medal in 1999, for her role in the civil rights movement. At the age of ninety-two, she passed away in Detroit. 02/03/2025 February 3, 2025. She stood up for her rights by staying seated. In the 1950s, Rosa Parks gave the US Civil Rights Movement a huge boost, and inspired Martin Luther King Jr. The event was seen as a catalyst for the emerging civil rights movement, as protests followed the killers’ acquittal in court. At about the same time, an African-American woman named Rosa Parks was arrested, sparking a protest campaign that would go down in history as the Montgomery bus boycott — another key moment in the civil rights movement. Rosa Parks was a prominent figure in the civil rights movement, known for her pivotal role in challenging racial segregation in the United States. Her refusal to give up her bus seat to a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama, sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott and became a catalyst for the civil rights movement.
Articles and news, personal stories, interviews with experts.
Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |