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, 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 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. January 7, 1956: Parks is let go from her job as a tailor's assistant at the Montgomery Fair department store. January 1956: Raymond quits his barbershop job after discussion of his wife and the After attending Alabama State Teachers College, the young Rosa settled in Montgomery, with her husband, Raymond Parks. The couple joined the local chapter of the N ational A ssociation of the A dvancement of C oloured P eople (NAACP) and worked quietly for many years to improve the lot of African-Americans in the segregated south. 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. The police arrested Rosa Parks a second time. On February 22, 1956, 114 protesters, including Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., were arrested for challenging bus segregation laws. The high-profile arrest put a media spotlight on the boycott, which ultimately helped the movement. 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 Louise McCauley Parks was an American civil rights activist, often referred to as the ‘mother of the freedom movement’ and ‘the first lady of civil rights.’ She was an African-American civil rights activist who ignited the ‘Civil Rights Movement’ by taking a brave step that no other African-American dared to take until then. Rosa Parks (February 4, 1913–October 24, 2005) was a civil rights activist in Alabama when she refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus to a white person: her case touched off the Montgomery Bus Boycott and was a significant milestone in forcing the Supreme Court to end segregation. It connects Rosa Parks’s actions to current social justice movements. Ideal for civil rights anniversaries, leadership conferences, and educational events. #3 A Legacy That Lives On. Honored guests and fellow citizens, today we celebrate the enduring legacy of Rosa Parks, a woman whose quiet strength changed America. By refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus, Rosa Parks is known as “the mother of the Civil Rights Movement.” Her decision sparked campaigns around the country, which eventually led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965. Who was Rosa Parks and what did she do? Rosa Parks was born Rosa McCauley on February 4 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. By using a clear and engaging way of speaking, we can help students understand why Rosa Parks is an important figure in history. We should use real-life stories and examples to make the lessons interesting and give a full picture of Rosa Parks’ courage and her impact on society. Conclusion. Rosa Parks played a key role in the Civil Rights Rosa Parks (center, in dark coat and hat) rides a bus at the end of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Montgomery, Alabama, Dec. 26, 1956. Don Cravens/The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images/Getty Images. Most of us know Rosa Parks as the African American woman who quietly, but firmly, refused to give up her bus seat to a white person Dec. 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama. That small act of “To reckon with Rosa Parks, the lifelong rebel, moves us beyond the popular narrative of the movement’s happy ending with the passage of the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act to the long and continuing history of racial injustice in schools, policing, jobs, and housing in the United States and the wish Parks left us with—to keep on CITATION: Interview with Rosa Parks, conducted by Blackside, Inc. on November 14, 1985, for "Eyes on the Prize: America's Civil Rights Years (1954-1965)." Washington University Libraries, Film and Media Archive, Henry Hampton Collection. Rosa and Parks lost their jobs as well though they were not fired; Parks resigned when his bosses banned any speak of Rosa on the premises, and Rosa was let go when her shop was forced to shut down. Rosa was then able to put her efforts into helping the MIA to arrange a sophisticated transportation system for the black citizens, made up of cars In 2015, after a 10-year legal battle, the Library of Congress released a trove of Rosa Parks' personal documents. Last year the papers were put online for the first time. The Henry Ford Museum in Michigan also preserved Parks’ legacy by purchasing the Cleveland Avenue bus she rode on December 1, 1955. In addition to authoring several books about her story, in 2002, Parks teamed up with CBS to produce a biographical film titled “The Rosa Parks Story.” On October 5, 2005, Rosa Parks passed away in Detroit.
Articles and news, personal stories, interviews with experts.
Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.