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. 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 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Rosa Parks Rosa Louise McCauley was born in Tuskegee on February 4, 1913, to James McCauley, a carpenter and stonemason, and Leona Edwards, a teacher. She spent much of her childhood living with her maternal grandparents in Pine Level, a small town in southeast Montgomery County . 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 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 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 Published by Zondervan and reprinted as Reflections by Rosa Parks, it offers a series of reflections from the activist on topics like fear, injustice, faith and the future. The quote above, which is from the chapter on injustice, acknowledges the progress made, as well as the progress still needed to secure the freedom and equality of all. 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. 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 Rosa Parks Day is an American holiday celebrated on the 4th February or 1st December in honour of her work as a civil rights leader. Download this biography for kids 5 facts about Rosa Parks: She finished high school at a time when that was rare; She was active in politics; The bus driver who had her arrested in 1955 had given her trouble before Rosa Parks received numerous awards and tributes in her lifetime, including the NAACP's highest honor, the Spingarn Medal, in 1970, and the Martin Luther King, Jr. 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. Biography: Where did Rosa Parks grow up? Rosa grew up in the southern United States in Alabama. Her full name was Rosa Louise McCauley and she was born in Tuskegee, Alabama on February 4, 1913 to Leona and James McCauley. Her mother was a teacher and her father a carpenter. She had a younger brother named Sylvester.
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