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 often worked as a seamstress when she needed a job or to make some extra money. You can visit the actual bus that Rosa Parks sat in at the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan. When she lived in Detroit, she worked as a secretary for U.S. Representative John Conyers for many years. She wrote an autobiography called Rosa Parks: My Story in 1992 Early Life 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. Parks became a symbol of the power of nonviolent protest. Early Life. Rosa Louise McCauley was born on February 4, 1913, in Tuskegee, Alabama. When she was two years old, her parents separated. She went with her mother and siblings to live on her grandparents’ farm in Pine Level, Alabama, outside Montgomery. Rosa Parks was born on February 4, 1913. On December 1, 1955, she boarded a city bus in Montgomery, Alabama and sat in the middle, where Black passengers in that city were allowed to sit unless a white person wanted the seat. As the bus filled with new riders, the driver told Parks to give up her seat to a white passenger. She refused. Rosa Louise McCauley Parks (February 4, 1913 – October 24, 2005) was an African-American civil rights activist. She has been called "the mother of the modern-day American civil rights movement " and "the mother of the freedom movement." In 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for sitting on a bus. As in many cities in the South, the buses in Montgomery, Alabama, were segregated. Black people had to sit at the back. If a white person wanted to sit, a Black person had to give up his or her seat. On December 1, Rosa refused to get up. She was arrested. Many claimed Rosa was just tired. About Rosa Parks: Name: Rosa Louise McCauley Parks; Also known as: The first lady of Civil Rights; Date of Birth: February 4, 1913; Native place: Tuskegee, Alabama, USA; Occupation: Civil rights activist; Death: October 24, 2005; Well known for: The Montgomery Bus Boycott; Early life. Rosa was born in the town of Tuskegee, Alabama, a southern Eventually, Rosa and her husband moved to Detroit and lived a quiet life there. In 1966 Rosa was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton. She received many other awards over the years for her bravery. She wrote books and spoke about her life and passed away at the age of 92. ARRESTED Rosa Parks is fingerprinted after an arrest in 1956, during the Montgomery bus boycott. UNDERWOOD ARCHIVES/GETTY IMAGES. In 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for sitting on a bus. As in many cities in the South, the buses in Montgomery, Alabama, were segregated. Black people had to sit at the back. 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. Early life Part 1: Her Early Life. Rosa Parks is an example of how the actions of one person can start a chain reaction of events that has far-reaching results. Her refusal to give up her seat on a city bus inspired other African-Americans to demand better treatment in all areas of their lives. This biography goes beyond the just telling the facts of Rosa Parks’ life, and encourages children and parents to talk about what Rosa faced and what life was like for a black woman in the 1950s. It also shows how Rosa’s activism relates to the activism of today, and that while the United States has come a long way as a nation, there is There, when a woman called Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat, a bus journey became very important. Rosa's refusal was a protest about racism against black people. 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. 28 Rosa Parks Facts For Kids. Rosa Parks was a simple lady with an extraordinary story. Here are a few facts about Rosa Parks that will inspire children. Rosa Parks finished her high school education at a time when less than 7% of African-Americans had a high school degree. Death: Rosa Parks passed away on October 24, 2005, at the age of 92. Including this information helps students see how her legacy continued well into the modern era. Early Life of Rosa Parks. Family Background: Students can learn about her parents, Leona and James McCauley, and her younger brother, Sylvester. Her mother was a teacher, which Rosa Parks Biography For Kids Early life and family. Rosa Louisa McCauley was born to James McCauley and Leona McCauley. Her mother was a teacher, and her father was a carpenter. Rosa’s parents separated when she was two, after which her mother moved with Rosa and her younger brother, Sylvester, to Pine Level, Alabama to live with their Additional Resources on Rosa Parks. About Rosa Parks – Find more information on Rosa Parks on the Rosa Parks website. Biography of Rosa Parks – Read the biography of Rosa Parks on the Biography website. Timeline of Rosa Parks – View a timeline of the life of Rosa Parks on the Library of Congress website. 2. She was an African American civil rights activist, best known for her refusal to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus in 1955. Rosa Parks was an African American civil rights activist whose refusal to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus in 1955 sparked a nationwide boycott and helped launch the civil rights movement in the United States.
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