2. Parks’ Grandparents Molded Her Faith. Born Rosa Louise McCauley, her grandparents instilled Christian values in her from a young age. In her autobiography Quiet Strength, she noted, “Every day before supper and before we went to services on Sundays my grandmother would read the Bible to me, and my grandfather would pray. We even had 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. The story of Rosa Parks is a reminder of what a central role Christian faith has played in the civil-rights movement. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was a Christian minister who turned the other In 2000, Troy University in Montgomery, Alabama established the Rosa Parks Library and Museum. In 2005, Rosa died at age 92. She became the first woman in American history to lie in honor at the Capitol. Learn more about racial justice and anti-racism by taking these online courses. What are some of Rosa Parks’ best quotes? Throughout her National Day of Courage . In honor of what would have been Rosa Park’s 100 th birthday, the Henry Ford Museum initiated a National Day of Courage on February 4, 2013. Many gave tribute to the bravery of the former Alabama seamstress, who on December 1, 1955, chose to disobey the unjust segregation law by refusing to give her bus seat to a white man. 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. Rosa Parks: My Story. by Rosa Parks and Jim Haskins. Dial Books, 1992. Quiet Strength: The Faith, the Hope, the Heart of a Woman Who Changed a Nation. by Rosa Parks and Gregory J. Reed. Zondervan, 1994. Dear Mrs. Parks: A Dialogue with Today’s Youth. by Rosa Parks and Gregory J. Reed. Lee and Low Books, 1996. Rosa Parks’ staunch faith and civil disobedience continue to inspire new generations of activists who propel the fight for freedom forward in the 21st century. Their continued activism is the ultimate expression of her legacy, since as she stated in her 1987 Eyes on the Prize oral interview “I would like to be remembered as a person who The civil rights movement that Rosa helped spark led to the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed discrimination based on race. Between 1977 and 1979, Rosa’s husband, brother, and mother all died of cancer. Rosa dedicated herself to civil rights advocacy and continued to receive death threats for most of her life. Rosa Parks smiles during a ceremony where she received the Congressional Medal of Freedom in Detroit on Nov. 28, 1999. Parks, whose refusal to give up her bus seat to a white man sparked the Rosa Parks became a symbol of the Civil Rights Movement after her arrest on December 1, 1955. Riding home from work on a city bus in Montgomery, Alabama, she was ordered to surrender her seat to a white passenger after the driver moved the dividing line between the two segregated sections of the bus. Rosa Parks, born Rosa Louise McCauley, was born in Tuskegee, Alabama and grew up just outside of Montgomery, Alabama. She died of natural causes in 2005 in Detroit, Michigan. Parks was a lifelong Methodist. She said of her childhood experiences in church: The church, with its musical rhythms and echoes of Africa, thrilled me when I was young. What did Rosa Parks believe in? Rosa Parks is important because she helped Martin Luther King, Jr. free black people. Rosa Parks was brave to get on the bus and sit in the front. Rosa Parks is an important person because she fought for civil rights. Rosa Parks believed in freedom and she believed that we should all be treated the same. What is Rosa Parks was an African-American civil rights activist. She was born as Rosa Louise McCauley on February 4, 1913, in Tuskegee, Alabama. She is very known for refusing to give a white man her seat on a bus, spurring the Montgomery boycott and other efforts to end segregation. Rosa Parks made it her personal mission to fight for what she believed in and stand up for her beliefs and values. She has demonstrated the strength and courage required to stand up for what is right, no matter the consequences. 7th Grade English Rosa Parks: The Visionary Who Changed the Nation One can change the world, as long as he or she stands firm and strong in his or her beliefs. Rosa Parks is considered one of the most important visionaries in American history. This brave woman refused to yield her seat in the front Last week Rosa Parks, the 86-year-old civil-rights heroine, was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest honor that can be given to a civilian. Parks received the award because nearly half a century ago, she changed the course of American history when she refused to give up her bus seat to a white man. 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. Writing About Rosa Parks. When writing about Rosa Parks, students should consider the following: Historical Context: Provide a backdrop of the era’s racial tensions and segregation laws to help readers understand the significance of her actions. Personal Narrative: Discuss Parks’ personal history and motivations for her civil rights activism. Rosa Parks’ favorite color is commonly believed to be blue. (Source: Biography.com) Rosa Parks often wore blue clothing, which may have contributed to the association with her favorite color. (Source: NPR) Rosa Parks was a seamstress and often sewed blue fabric into her work. (Source: The Washington Post)
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