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. Unfortunately, Rosa's education was cut short when her mother became very ill. Rosa left school to care for her mother. A few years later Rosa met Raymond Parks. Raymond was a successful barber who worked in Montgomery. They married a year later in 1932. Rosa worked part time jobs and went back to school, finally earning her high school diploma. Who was Rosa Parks? Full name: Rosa Louise McCauley Parks Born: 4 February 1913 Hometown: Tuskegee, Alabama, USA Occupation: Civil rights activist Died: 24 October 2005 Best known for: The Montgomery Bus Boycott. Rosa was born in the town of Tuskegee in Alabama, a state in southern USA. Her mother was a teacher and her father a carpenter, and In 1992, Parks published Rosa Parks: My Story, an autobiography recounting her life in the segregated South. In 1995, she published Quiet Strength , which focuses on the role that religious faith Rosa Parks, also known as ‘the first lady of civil rights’ and ‘the mother of the freedom movement’, was a famous African-American civil rights activist. This biography profiles her childhood, life, career, works, achievements and timeline. Rosa Louise McCauley was born on February 4th, 1913 in Tuskegee, Alabama. As a child, she went to an industrial school for girls and later enrolled at Alabama State Teachers College for Negroes (present-day Alabama State University). Unfortunately, Parks was forced to withdraw after her grandmother became ill. 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 was determined “never to accept [Jim Crow], even if it must be endured.” In 1932 she married Raymond Parks, a barber and charter member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) branch, in Montgomery, Alabama. Rosa and Raymond had similar personalities and shared an interest in racial politics. Rosa Parks earned 40 honorary degrees and the Congressional Gold Medal. Michigan celebrates February 4th as Rosa Parks Day. On October 5, 2005, Parks became the first woman to lie in honor in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda and in 2013 the first African American woman whose statue is in the Capitol Building’s Statuary Hall. ARRESTED Rosa Parks is fingerprinted after an arrest in 1956, during the Montgomery bus boycott. UNDERWOOD ARCHIVES/GETTY IMAGES. In 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for sitting on a bus. As in many cities in the South, the buses in Montgomery, Alabama, were segregated. Black people had to sit at the back. 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 ROSA LOUISE PARKS BIOGRAPHY. Rosa Louise Parks was nationally recognized as the “mother of the modern day civil rights movement” in America. Her refusal to surrender her seat to a white male passenger on a Montgomery, Alabama bus, December 1, 1955, triggered a wave of protest December 5, 1955 that reverberated throughout the United States. 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 2022, the documentary The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks was released on Peacock; it is the first full-length documentary about Parks. [177] Also that year, a major motion film Bowl Game Armageddon was announced, which will spotlight Rosa Parks and Emmett Till leading up to the 1956 Sugar Bowl and Atlanta riots [178] [166] More information about Kennedy’s work, quotes from Parks, and advice for how kids can use similar techniques is also included in the Library’s family activity kit, Remembering Rosa Parks. Although Rosa and her husband Raymond Parks had no children of their own, children were a significant part of Rosa Parks’s life. She was a beloved aunt ROSA LOUISE PARKS BIOGRAPHY. Rosa Louise Parks was nationally recognized as the “mother of the modern day civil rights movement” in America. Her refusal to surrender her seat to a white male passenger on a Montgomery, Alabama bus, December 1, 1955, triggered a wave of protest December 5, 1955 that reverberated throughout the United States. 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. 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, 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 She did not attend school until she was 11 years old. Because of Jim Crow laws, she had to walk to school and could not take the bus. For her secondary education, Parks went to laboratory school; however, she had to drop out in order to care for her ailing grandmother. Overall, Parks’ life was focused on her family and religion.
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