Rosa Parks Day is a holiday in honor of the civil rights leader Rosa Parks, celebrated in the U.S. states of Missouri and Massachusetts on her birthday, February 4, in Michigan and California on the first Monday after her birthday, and in Ohio, Texas, Alabama, Tennessee, Oregon and several cities and counties on the day she was arrested, December 1. 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. December 1, 1955: Rosa Parks Is Arrested. On Thursday, December 1, 1955, the 42-year-old Rosa Parks was commuting home from a long day of work at the Montgomery Fair department store by bus. Black 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. 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. Activist Rosa Parks sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott that partially ended racial segregation. Read facts about her birth, accomplishments, and more. December 5, 1955—the day of Parks Rosa Parks is best known for refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, the 381-day boycott ends. Parks is photographed sitting at the front of a bus for Look magazine. Rosa Parks, an African American, was arrested that day for violating a city law requiring racial segregation of public buses. On the city buses of Montgomery, Alabama, the front 10 seats were permanently reserved for white passengers. The diagram shows that Mrs. Parks was seated in the first row behind those 10 seats. On a winter's evening in 1955, a 42-year-old African-American woman named Rosa Parks, tired after a long day of work as a seamstress, boarded a bus in Montgomery, Alabama to get home. Parks continued to face harassment following the boycott’s successful conclusion and decided to move to Detroit to seek better employment opportunities. Shortly before her departure, the MIA declared 5 August 1957 “Rosa Parks Day.” A celebration was held at Mt. Zion AME Zion Church, and $800 was presented to Parks. 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. For 382 days, almost the entire African American population of Montgomery, Alabama, including leaders Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, refused to ride on segregated buses. The protests In the 1950s, Rosa Parks gave the US Civil Rights Movement a huge boost, and inspired Martin Luther King Jr. In 1998, various US states introduced Rosa Parks Day — some on December 1, the Metro honors Rosa Parks on her birthday with a special reserved seat on every bus and train Today, Metro is honoring Civil Rights pioneer Rosa Parks on her birthday, Feb. 4. To acknowledge the day, Metro is placing signs on all trains and buses, reserving a single seat for Parks and her history-changing act of brave civil disobedience against LANCASTER — Shortly after the new year began, Gov. Maura Healey signed a bill making Feb. 4 a day to set aside in honor of civil rights icon Rosa Parks in Massachusetts.The bill’s initiator Today marks the anniversary of Rosa Parks’ decision to sit down for her rights on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus, putting the effort to end segregation on a fast track. Parks was arrested on December 1, 1955, after she refused to give up her seat on a crowded bus to a white passenger. Reflection: Rosa Parks had made the decision to resist on multiple occasions, but on that historic day, the weariness of a lifetime of injustice tipped the scales. This quote emphasizes the cumulative effect of constant oppression. Rosa Parks Day is when Americans pause to remember the life and legacy of Rosa Parks. The day reflects on Rosa Parks’ selfless work during America’s civil rights movement. Rosa Parks was known for her short stature and strong will – may she ever be remembered for her efforts. Rosa Parks, left, and Martin Luther King Jr., second from left, presented this couple with an award at a 1965 ceremonyImage: AP Photo/picture alliance On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, who worked After Parks died in Detroit in 2005 at the age of 92, she became the first woman to lie in honor in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C. California, Missouri, Ohio, and Oregon commemorate Rosa Parks Day every year, and highways in Missouri, Michigan, and Pennsylvania bear her name.
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