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’ early education exposed her to racial discrimination from a young age. This awareness prepared her for the challenges that lay ahead and the courage to face them. Her schools, although segregated, were platforms where she likely engaged in conversations that fueled her passion for civil rights. 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. Showcases rarely seen materials that offer an intimate view of Rosa Parks and documents her life and activism—creating a rich opportunity for viewers to discover new dimensions to their understanding of this seminal figure. The materials are drawn extensively from the Rosa Parks Collection, a gift to the Library of Congress from the Howard G. Buffett Foundation. 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. Rosa Louise McCauley Parks was an American civil rights activist, often referred to as the ‘mother of the freedom movement’ and ‘the first lady of civil rights.’ She was an African-American civil rights activist who ignited the ‘Civil Rights Movement’ by taking a brave step that no other African-American dared to take until then. Who was Rosa Parks and what did she do? Rosa Parks was born Rosa McCauley on February 4, 1913. She received her early education at a private school, but while caring for both her grandmother and mother, Rosa had to delay completing her high school credits. In 1932, she married Raymond Parks and then received her high school diploma in 1934. Rosa loved to learn and studied hard at high school. But, sadly, she had to leave school at 16 to care for her dying grandmother and, shortly after, her very sick mother. When she was 19 years old, Rosa married a barber called Raymond Parks, who encouraged her to return to high school to earn her diploma (an education certificate). And that’s Rosa Parks' quiet, yet defiant refusal to give up her seat to a white passenger on a Montgomery, Ala. bus, sparked one of the longest and most influential civil rights protests in the nation's 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). 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. Activist Rosa Parks sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott that partially ended racial segregation. Childhood, Family, and Education. Rosa Parks was born Rosa Louise McCauley on February 4, 1913 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 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. 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. The education of Rosa Louise McCauley Parks [February 4, 1913-October 24, 2005] involved a combination of homeschooling, and of public school attendance. Parks was in poor health as a child. Rosa Parks, the "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement" was one of the most important citizens of the 20th century. Mrs. Parks was a seamstress in Montgomery, Alabama when, in December of 1955, she refused to give up her seat on a city bus to a white passenger. The bus driver had her arrested. She was tried and convicted of violating a local ordinance. Her act sparked a citywide boycott of the In 1987, Parks co-founded, with friend Elaine Eason Steele, the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self-Development, in honor of Raymond Parks, who died in 1977. The organization continues to promote education and life-skills training for young minority people. She married Raymond Parks when she was 19 years old. Both Rosa Parks and her husband cared passionately about racial justice. They worked together with groups like the National Association for Colored People (NAACP). By the day in December 1955 when Parks sat down on the bus, she was a respected civil rights leader in Montgomery. Main Article Primary Sources (1) Rosa Parks, interviewed by Howell Raines for the book My Soul is Rested: Movement Days in the Deep South Remembered (1977). I had left my work at the men's alteration shop, a tailor shop in the Montgomery Fair department store, and as I left work, I crossed the street to a drugstore to pick up a few items instead of trying to go directly to the bus stop.
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