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 Rosa Parks, the civil rights activist who refused to give up her seat to a white man on a Montgomery bus in 1955, sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Explore her early life, activism, arrest, trial and legacy. Quick Facts. FULL NAME: Rosa Louise McCauley Parks BORN: February 4, 1913 DIED: October 24, 2005 BIRTHPLACE: Tuskegee, Alabama SPOUSE: Raymond Parks (1932-1977) ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Aquarius. 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. Learn about Rosa Parks, the civil rights activist who refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus in 1955 and sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Discover her life, legacy and lesson plan at womenshistory.org. Learn about the life and legacy of Rosa Parks, the "mother of the modern day civil rights movement" in America. Find out how she refused to give up her seat on a bus, sparked a boycott, and received many honors and awards. April 14, 2005: Parks and the hip-hop group Outkast reach an out-of-court settlement regarding their 1998 song "Rosa Parks." October 24, 2005: Parks dies at the age of 92. Rosa Parks’ legacy Sadly, despite the victory, life wasn’t easy for Rosa and her fellow activists after the boycott. Faced with continued violence and threats by angry white groups, Rosa and Raymond moved to Detroit (a city in the northern US state of Michigan), to live with Rosa’s brother. Rosa Parks' Montgomery, Ala. Sheriff's Department booking photo taken on Feb. 22, 1956. Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus for a white passenger on Dec. 1, 1955 in Rosa Parks called Malcolm X her hero, and they interacted several times during the American civil rights movement. Rosa Parks was a lifelong activist, as was her husband. Rosa Parks was not the first black woman to refuse to move from her bus seat; Claudette Colvin had done the same nine months earlier, and countless women had before that. 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. In 1980, following the deaths of her husband (1977), brother (1977) and mother (1979), Parks, along with The Detroit News, and the Detroit Public school system, founded the Rosa L. Parks Scholarship Foundation. Parks also co-founded, with Elaine Steele, the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development in 1987. Rosa Parks the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor given to a civilian, and in 1999 the United States Congress honored Rosa Parks with the Congressional Gold Medal. Rosa Parks resided in Detroit until her passing at the age of 92 on October 24, 2005. On October 27, the United States Senate passed a resolution to honor Rosa Parks by 1. Parks was not the first African American woman to be arrested for refusing to yield her seat on a Montgomery bus. Nine months before Parks was jailed, 15-year-old Claudette Colvin was the first 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. There, when a woman called Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat, a bus journey became very important. Rosa's refusal was a protest about racism against black people. Racism is when someone 2. She was an African American civil rights activist, best known for her refusal to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus in 1955. Rosa Parks was an African American civil rights activist whose refusal to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus in 1955 sparked a nationwide boycott and helped launch the civil rights movement in the United States. Rosa Parks was born Rosa Louise McCauley on February 4, 1913, in Tuskegee, Alabama. As an African American in Alabama, she had to live with segregation, which means laws kept Black and white people separate from each other. Rosa married Raymond Parks in 1932. 20 Rosa Parks Facts. Rosa Parks was born in Tuskegee, Alabama, on February 4, 1913. When her parents split, Parks went to live in Pine Level. Rosa married Raymond Parks, a barber from Montgomery, in 1932. In 1943 Rosa Parks joined the Montgomery chapter of the NAACP and became active in the Civil Rights Movement. Let’s reflect on some key Rosa Parks facts that highlight her remarkable life and contributions. Important Rosa Parks Facts Rosa Parks was born in 1913. Parks was born in Tuskegee, Alabama. Source: Library of Congress. Rosa Parks’ grandparents were former slaves. She came from a family of strong advocates for racial equality.
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