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, was the daughter of James McCauley, a skilled carpenter and stonemason, and Leona Edwards McCauley, a teacher. Growing up in a middle-class family, Rosa faced challenges from a young age. 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] Rosa’s family taught her the importance of standing tall, even when the world tried to push her down. In 1932, Rosa married Raymond Parks, a barber who was deeply involved in the fight for civil rights. Together, they became active members of their community. 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. Born on February 4, 1913 in Tuskegee, AL, Rosa Parks was raised by her mother and grandparents in Pine Level, Alabama. Her grandfather supported the Garvey movement and, when Klan violence escalated after World War I, would sit out on the porch with his shotgun to protect the family home. A 6-year-old Rosa would sometimes sit vigil with him. Unfortunately, Parks was forced to withdraw after her grandmother became ill. Growing up in the segregated South, Parks was frequently confronted with racial discrimination and violence. She became active in the Civil Rights Movement at a young age. Parks married a local barber by the name of Raymond Parks when she was 19. 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 Parks was awarded the Martin Luther King Jr. Award by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. Early Life and Family. Parks was born Rosa Louise McCauley on February 4, 1913, in Tuskegee, Alabama. The family moved to Montgomery; Rosa went to school and became a seamstress. She married barber Raymond Parks in 1932, and the couple joined the Montgomery National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). When she inspired the bus boycott, Parks had been the secretary of the local NAACP for twelve years (1943-1956). Parks’s arrest took a toll on the Parks family; both Rosa and Raymond Parks ended up unemployed (through a firing and a resignation, respectively). The Parks left Montgomery for Hampton, Virginia in 1957, and then relocated permanently to Detroit, Michigan, where Parks found work as a seamstress. Rosa’s mother was a teacher, and the family valued education. Rosa moved to Montgomery, Alabama, at age 11 and eventually attended high school there, a laboratory school at the Alabama State 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. Rosa Parks is best known for refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955, which sparked a yearlong boycott that was a turning point in the civil rights This means that Rosa Parks herself was only two generations removed from slavery. Understanding this fact helps us appreciate the determination and resilience that ran through her veins. Life During Segregation: The Impact on Rosa’s Family. Growing up during a time of extreme racial segregation had a profound impact on Rosa Parks’ family life. Parks continued to work for civil rights causes during her entire life and was awarded the nation's highest honors for her role in the movement. Rosa Parks Rosa Louise McCauley was born in Tuskegee on February 4, 1913, to James McCauley, a carpenter and 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 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. The name Rosa Parks is synonymous with courage and defiance in the face of oppression. Her act of refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus to a white person on December 1, 1955, sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a pivotal event in the Civil Rights Movement. However, there is more to Rosa Parks than this singular act of bravery. An older Rosa Parks recounted how her grandmother grew very angry when a young Rosa told her about the brick incident and worried for her safety. Rosa told her grandmother: “I would rather be lynched than live to be mistreated than not be allowed to say ‘I don’t like it.’” Rosa Parks framed the power of speaking back as fundamental.
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