Civil Rights Activist: Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks

A woman that had courage. She was a hero. She knew what was right. A Civil Rights Activist. Who is this woman? Rosa Parks.

Early Life

Let’s go back to Alabama on February 4, 1913. On this day, a Civil Rights Activist is born. Her parents separated at an early age. Her mother, Leona Edwards, moved to her parents farm. This is where Rosa spent most of her youth. Because of this, there were few opportunities. Biography.com acknowledges that “The schoolhouse for African-Americans was on the other side of town and had few supplies, while the White people had bus transportation to school and a new building,” so her mother taught her at home. They also claim that “Rosa learned to read at an early age.”

After learning from her mother she attended the Alabama State Teachers

She left not even half way through to go home to take care of her grandmother, who was sick.

How we know her

Now, let’s fast forward to December 1, 1955. It is late in the afternoon or early evening in Montgomery, Alabama. We are on a city bus where, the first ten rows are reserved for “White” people. In the 11th row, we see a colored woman sitting there on her way home from work. The front 10 rows are filled up. The bus pulls over and the buss driver takes the “Whites only” sign back two rows. Archives.gov confirms that “All the colored people but one get up and either move to the back of the bus or get off all together.” That one, is Rosa Parks. Rosa refuses to give up her seat. Archives.gov also notes that “James Blake, the driver, believed he had the discretion to move the line separating black and white passengers. The law was actually somewhat murky on that point, but when Mrs. Parks defied his order, he called the police. Officers Day and Mixon came and promptly arrested her. In police custody, Mrs. Parks was booked, fingerprinted, and briefly incarcerated. The police report shows that she was charged with ‘refusing to obey