Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks (full name: Rosa Louise McCauley Parks) was born on February 4, 1913 in Tuskegee, Alabama. She was an African-American civil rights activist, whom the United States Congress called "the first lady of civil rights" and "the mother of the freedom movement".

Childhood

Rosa Parks was born to Leone, a teacher, and James McCauley, a carpenter. At the early age she suffered from chronic diseases. After parents separated, her mother raised her at her maternal place.

Education

Rosa Parks started her education by attending rural schools until the age of eleven. Later she got enrolled into Industrial School for Girls in Montgomery, where she took academic and vocational courses. For secondary education Parks went on to a laboratory school set up by the Alabama State Teachers College for Negroes. But illness of her mother and grandmother forced her to drop out in order to care for them.

Career

In 1932, Rosa Parks married a barber named Raymond Parks. Rosa took numerous jobs, she worked as hospital aide and even domestic worker. It was her husband’s push that she finished her high school studies in 1933, at a time when less than 7% of African Americans had a high school diploma. Rosa Parks got succeeded in registering to vote on her third attempt even though the Jim Crow laws and discrimination by registrars have prohibited right to vote for the blacks in South.

In 1943, Rosa Parks became active in the Civil Rights Movement, and joined as secretary to the Montgomery chapter of the NAACP. Surprisingly she was the only women at NAACP. She continued as secretary until 1957.

Rosa Parks came in light when she refused to empty her seat for a white passenger in the Montgomery Bus, for which government has imposed a law that Black are not allowed to sit until all Whites are seated. She was arrested for this act of her, which lead to her defiance and demand for Montgomery Bus Boycott.

At the End

On 24th October, 2005, Rosa Parks died of natural causes at the age of 92 at her home in Detroit. On 27th October 2005, City officials in Montgomery and Detroit announced that the front seats of their city buses would be reserved with black ribbons in honor of Parks until her funeral.

Honors

Her birthday, 4th February and the day she was pushed out of Montgomery bus and arrested for, December 1st are declared as Rosa Parks day in California and Ohio. Her fight for the equal rights of blacks has garnered her with various prestigious awards. She is considered as a symbol for modern day fight for civil rights.