Rosa Parks

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Rosa Parks

Forward

Rosa Parks’ courage to stand up for rights as a citizen of the USA inspires me to this day to stand up for the ideals of freedom & justice for all. Rosa Parks influenced many northerners & lawmakers to look squarely at the discrimination victimizing Alabama’s black people, and work to correct injustice.

A vital democracy requires citizen participation! The civil rights movement must continue today as immigrants, especially Arabs and Arab look-alikes are victims of prejudice. Washington Territory and Washington State were too long dominated by the Ku Klux Klan. We need active human rights advocates today to ensure dignity for all people.

Shawn Landden [& Chris Bowen]’s biography of Rosa Parks is recommended reading for all who aspire to a successful democracy today.

Introduction

Many people know Rosa Parks. She was an important part of the Civil Rights Movement; she was arrested for not giving up her seat on a public bus to a white man when he wanted it. She was sick of being pushed around and shamelessly showed it by demanding respect.

After this incident the black community started a major bus boycott. It started as a laughable situation that was expected to stop in a few days but ended as a serious problem for the Montgomery Bus Company. For over a year, the black community would not ride the buses. This ended when the U.S. Supreme Court declared bus segregation unconstitutional. This victory, without a doubt, made all African Americans confident to continue the Civil Rights Movement.

Even before Rosa's arrest, Montgomery's black leaders had been discussing a boycott from the buses. They used her arrest as "a spark to light the fire that is the boycott". That is why the name Rosa Parks will be remembered for years to come.

In this biography you will read about Rosa Parks' life before the boycott including her childhood, education, jobs, and ambitions. You will also learn about her life during the boycott, which will include her struggle toward her goals, and her life after the boycott, which will include her continuing work for civil rights.

I hope you learn many things about Rosa Parks and her life, in this Biography, and I hope you remember the name Rosa Parks for years to come.

Timeline

February 4, 1913 Rosa McCauley born in Tuskegee Alabama

1918 Enters school in Pine Level, Alabama

1924...

... middle of paper ...

..., in Washington, D.C., had designed this sculpture. Etched into this sculpture were the names of forty men and women who had been killed in the civil rights movement. On the rock there also lies these words from Dr. King:

“…until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Rosa was there when this memorial was established.

Rosa still lives on today, traveling more and working with her institute, the Rosa and Raymond Parks institute for Self Development, in hopes of sharing her mission with the world.

Bibliography

Internet

“Rosa Parks: The Woman Who Changed a Nation” http://www.grandtimes.com/rosa.html [Online] 28 March 2002

“The Life of Rosa Parks” http://www.tsum.edu/museum/parlsbio.htm [Online] 30 March 2002

“Rosa and Raymond Parks: Our history” http://www.rosaparkis.org/pages/background.html 30 March 2002

“Rosa and Raymond Parks: Programs” http://www.rosaparkis.org/pages/programs.html 30 March 2002

Books

Rosa Lee Parks with Jim Haskins Rosa Parks: My Story Broadway, New York, NY Scholastic Inc. ©1992 by Rosa Parks

Encyclopedia

“Parks, Rosa Lee” World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia. Chicago: World Book: CD-ROM. ©2000

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