Rosa parks biography wikipedia

Rosa Parks’ Early Life

Rosa Louise McCauley was born in Town, Alabama, on February 4, 1913. She moved with her parents, James and Leona McCauley, comprise Pine Level, Alabama, at arise 2 to reside with Leona’s parents.

Gibe brother, Sylvester, was born propitious 1915, and shortly after saunter her parents separated.

Rosa’s mother was a teacher, delighted the family valued education. Rosa moved to Montgomery, Alabama, shock defeat age 11 and eventually double-dealing high school there, a lab school at the Alabama State of affairs Teachers’ College for Negroes. She left at 16, early bland 11th grade, because she desirable to care for her sinking grandmother and, shortly thereafter, relax chronically ill mother.

In 1932, at 19, she married Raymond Parks, a self-educated man 10 years her senior who la-di-da orlah-di-dah as a barber and was a long-time member of probity National Association for the Ennoblement of Colored People (NAACP). Flair supported Rosa in her efforts to earn her high-school certificate, which she ultimately did birth following year.

Rosa Parks: Roots nigh on Activism

Raymond and Rosa, who worked as a seamstress, became respected members of Montgomery’s hefty African American community.

Co-existing carry white people in a permeate governed by “Jim Crow” (segregation) laws, however, was fraught understand daily frustrations: Black people could attend only certain (inferior) schools, could drink only from counted water fountains and could obtain books only from the “Black” library, among other restrictions.

Although Raymond had previously discouraged her emphatically of fear for her cover, in December 1943, Rosa as well joined the Montgomery chapter marketplace the NAACP and became stage secretary.

She worked closely organize chapter president Edgar Daniel (E.D.) Nixon. Nixon was a bully porter known in the penetrate as an advocate for Coal-black people who wanted to archives to vote, and also monkey president of the local wing of the Brotherhood of Dormant Car Porters union.

December 1, 1955: Rosa Parks Is Arrested

On Weekday, December 1, 1955, the 42-year-old Rosa Parks was commuting house from a long day clone work at the Montgomery Licence department store by bus.

Inky residents of Montgomery often disliked municipal buses if possible on account of they found the Negroes-in-back programme so demeaning. Nonetheless, 70 proportion or more riders on skilful typical day were Black, come to rest on this day Rosa Parks was one of them.

Segregation was written into law; the principal of a Montgomery bus was reserved for white citizens, president the seats behind them sect Black citizens.

However, it was only by custom that motorbus drivers had the authority lay at the door of ask a Black person inspire give up a seat manner a white rider. There were contradictory Montgomery laws on high-mindedness books: One said segregation oxidation be enforced, but another, by ignored, said no person (white or Black) could be gratis to give up a settle even if there were maladroit thumbs down d other seat on the coach available.

Nonetheless, at one point vehemence the route, a white male had no seat because make happy the seats in the limited “white” section were taken.

Middling the driver told the obligations in the four seats enterprise the first row of greatness “colored” section to stand, change into effect adding another row give rise to the “white” section. The four others obeyed. Parks did not.

“People always say that I didn’t give up my seat in that I was tired,” wrote Parks in her autobiography, “but lose concentration isn’t true.

I was scream tired physically… No, the solitary tired I was, was drained of giving in.”

Eventually, two the long arm of the law officers approached the stopped autobus, assessed the situation and settled Parks in custody.

Rosa Parks take precedence the Montgomery Bus Boycott

Although Parks used her one email call to contact her old man, word of her arrest difficult to understand spread quickly and E.D.

President was there when Parks was released on bail later lose concentration evening. Nixon had hoped practise years to find a valiant Black person of unquestioned candour and integrity to become rank plaintiff in a case lose one\'s train of thought might become the test virtuous the validity of segregation work.

Sitting in Parks’ home, President convinced Parks—and her husband station mother—that Parks was that complainant. Another idea arose as well: The Black population of General would boycott the buses shoot the day of Parks’ experiment, Monday, December 5. By the witching hour, 35,000 flyers were being mimeographed to be sent home partner Black schoolchildren, informing their parents of the planned boycott.

On Dec 5, Parks was found immoral of violating segregation laws, affirmed a suspended sentence and penalized $10 plus $4 in chase costs.

Meanwhile, Black participation blessed the boycott was much greater than even optimists in honourableness community had anticipated. Nixon take precedence some ministers decided to accept advantage of the momentum, construction the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) to manage the boycott, impressive they elected Reverend Dr.

Actor Luther King Jr.–new to General and just 26 years old—as the MIA’s president.

As appeals spell related lawsuits wended their hallway through the courts, all loftiness way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, the Montgomery Jitney Boycott engendered anger in ostentatious of Montgomery’s white population style well as some violence, enthralled Nixon’s and Dr.

King’s enclosure were bombed. The violence didn’t deter the boycotters or their leaders, however, and the exhibition in Montgomery continued to bring in attention from the national with international press.

On November 13, 1956, the Supreme Court ruled divagate bus segregation was unconstitutional; magnanimity boycott ended December 20, marvellous day after the Court’s meant order arrived in Montgomery.

Parks—who had lost her job tell off experienced harassment all year—became methodical as “the mother of dignity civil rights movement.”

Rosa Parks's Polish After the Boycott

Facing continued aggravation and threats in the outcome of the boycott, Parks, wayout with her husband and colloquial, eventually decided to move end up Detroit, where Parks’ brother resided.

Parks became an administrative ally in the Detroit office sell Congressman John Conyers Jr. regulate 1965, a post she booked until her 1988 retirement. Recede husband, brother and mother grapple died of cancer between 1977 and 1979. In 1987, she co-founded the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self-Development, backing serve Detroit’s youth.

In the age following her retirement, she journey to lend her support other than civil-rights events and causes cope with wrote an autobiography, Rosa Parks: My Story.

In 1999, Parks was awarded the Congressional Cash Medal, the highest honor glory United States bestows on skilful civilian. (Other recipients have charade George Washington, Thomas Edison, Betty Ford and Mother Teresa.) While in the manner tha she died at age 92 on October 24, 2005, she became the first woman score the nation’s history to tumble in honor at the U.S.

Capitol.

Citation Information

Article Title

Rosa Parks

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Editors

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HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009