Civil Rights: The Legacy Of Rosa Parks

“... One hundred years later, the life of a negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of vast ocean prosperity. One hundred years later, the negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we’ve come here today to dramatize a shameful condition. This was said in the famous Martin Luther King Jr. Speech, “I Have a Dream”. Back then it was the Civil Rights Movements with the African Americans and how they wanted to be treated equally. Yes, they have their rights, but they are separated from the rest of society. They are looked down on.

When many people think of the Civil Rights Movement and its leaders, the first names that comes to mind are Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. However, there were so many people that were just as influential and deserving of recognition as Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. One of these people, Claudette Colvin, was “Rosa Parks before Rosa Parks”. Claudette Colvin grew up in King Hill, Alabama- a close-knit community that was stuck between two white neighborhoods. She attended a one-room school, with one teacher teaching all six elementary grades. When she refused to give up her seat to a white woman on a Montgomery bus, she was only fifteen years old. Claudette was arrested, and seen as an outsider by her classmates. She suffered

On Thursday evening December 1, 1955, Rosa boards a Montgomery City Bus to go home after a long day working as a seamstress. She walks back to the section for blacks, and takes a seat. The law stated that they could sit there if no White people were standing. Rosa parks never liked segregation rules and has been fighting against them for more than ten years in the NAACP, but until then had never broke any of the unjust rules. As the bus stops at more places, more white people enter the bus, all the seats in the “White Only” section was filled and the bus driver orders Rosa’s row to move to the back of the bus, they all moved, accept Rosa. She was arrested and fined for violating a city regulation. This act of defiance began a movement that ended legal Segregation in America, and made her an inspiration to freedom devoted people everywhere.

One cold December day a woman got onto a bus after a long shift at work, exhausted from the day she plopped down in a seat near the front. The next stop many white people boarded and the bus started to get full so they moved back until they reached the woman's seat. This was a problem because this woman, Rosa Parks, was black and had to move or she would end up in jail. Even with that knowledge, she refused to give that seat up. Many blacks faced this problem every day during the Civil Rights Movement, but weren't brave enough to stand up for their rights like Rosa was. After Rosa said "no" many realized they could stand up for their rights as well. Parks helped with people's involvement during these tough times and was involved herself. Due

Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech was written and delivered on August 28, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and remains one of the most historically influential and world-changing speeches of all time. Fifty-two years later, this speech is considered to be one of the best persuasive speeches ever delivered. Dr. King is not only attempting to persuade his audience to understand the plight of minorities in the United States, but he is also attempting to encourage a nation to change for the betterment of mankind. Through the effective use of several literary elements, Dr. Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech prompted Caucasian Americans to look closer at the country 's dismal record of civil rights for black Americans and other minorities.

‘’Each person must live their life as a model for others.’’ (Rosa Parks) Rosa Parks was tired of the way African Americans were poorly treated. She took a stand by not obeying a demand to give up her seat to a white passenger on a Montgomery bus. Because of her bold action she became a model to millions. Parks was an African American woman who became known for her bravery, which helped to change the nation. ‘’Parks spent most of her life fighting for desegregation, voting rights, and was active in the civil Right Movement that has changed social code in the U.S.’’(Rosa Parksfact.com). Rosa Parks is a pioneer for her brave act; her belief in equality, justice, and advancement for African American has impacted the world.

On July 19,1962, Martin Luther King gave a speech regarding the American Dream in the eyes of a black man. In the speech he states, “We are simply seeking to bring into full realization the American dream- a dream yet unfulfilled...a dream of a land where men no longer argue that the color of a man’s skin determines the contents of his character”. To this day, the dream is still unfulfilled; blacks still fight for impartiality and equality. Today, many blacks are still targeted as being criminals or are stereotyped immediately about where they live or what organizations they are a part of due to the color of their skin. A specific example, is when Jackie Robinson rose from all of the ghettos into becoming a wealthy individual, “of the Jackie Robinson elite, whose parents rose up out of the ghettos, and the share-cropping

On the 1st of December 1995 Rosa Parks who was a black women got on a city bus but the section that Rosa sat at was designated for all whites meaning Rosa was not allowed to sit there. She was a very brave and strong women to not of given the seat she was sitting at to the white man. Now why didn’t she give up her seat? The answer to this question is much more profound than we may believe so. Rosa Parks didn’t move from that seat because she was tired of always giving in to those who would give order to her therefore the effect of Rosa not moving led to her arrest. Rosa was the most influential American since 1960 because if she would have not of moved from the seat she was sitting then she would have not of sparked the beginning of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. This Montgomery Bus Boycott began on the day of Rosa Parks trail date which was just four days after her arrest.

Both texts were speeches given by President Barack Obama about Rosa Parks and her accomplishments. The texts showed that he had a positive opinion about Rosa Parks and everything she did for the civil rights movement. Rosa Parks’ actions helped the civil rights movement propel forward and end desegregation. She refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white man and ended desegregation. This goes to show that one small act may have large and far-reaching effects.

“The only tired I was, was tired of giving in” (Parks). I was tired, tired of being oppressed, and tired of being stepped on by the law, and my fellow people. That was the only tired i felt. The Montgomery Bus protest sparked a fire that would be felt throughout the entire country, and it was the spark that ignited the fire of the civil rights movement that shook the world. The boycott was the first of it, once light was shown on the problem, she began travelling cross country spreading information about civil rights, and sparking more peaceful protest. Rosa Parks was an important figure that changed the direction of the United States of America. She was trying to get home from work that day, but she turned into an icon for the civil rights movement, and shined a light on the unfair treatment of african americans.

The Civil Rights Movement which started in the 1950s had been the target of numerous incidents in the struggle for justice, racial equality, by increasing opportunities for racial minorities in society. On December 1, 1955, the modern civil rights movement began when Rosa Parks, an African-American woman, was arrested for refusing to move to the back of the bus in Montgomery, Alabama. A new minister in town, Martin Luther King, Jr., organized a bus boycott by the community, which eventually led to the desegregation of the bus line and launched protests across the South. Martin Luther King Jr., was a peaceful activist, he had led many such protests, trying to prove to the white society that African Americans are safe and valuable part of society.

It is important that the people can show their opinion on a situation while realizing their actions are against the law. With that in mind, civil disobedience is important to have in a free society as long as its controlled well to the point that no one is at harm.

Rosa Louise McCauley Parks was born in Tuskegee, Alabama, on the fourth of February of 1913. (History Net) She is known to be the “Mother Of The Modern Day Civil Rights Movement” by not giving up her seat to a white passenger on a bus. (Scholastic) Therefore, Parks had created an opportunity for protesters all over the nation to protest for their rights. With her courageous action, it had changed America and changed others’ perspective.

Montgomery Alabama December 1, 1955 African Americans were still in a long running battle against racial segregation, Rosa Louise McCauley Parks, better known “Rosa Parks” had just gotten off a long work day at her job as a seamstress and was taking a bus home, she paid the fare and sat in the colored section of the bus. Soon after the trip began the seats in the front rows of the bus “the white section” filled and when white passengers had nowhere to sit the bus driver moved the colored section back, but Rosa was done with being discriminated against, and picked on because of her skin color so she decided there that she would take a stand and would not move for someone only because they were white.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to get up from her seat on a bus, in Montgomery, Alabama. They yelled at her to move her seat numerous times but she only moved to the window seat. By then, a patrolman was dragging Parks off the bus. She recalled that she asked, “Why do you do this to us”? But the policeman only said, “I don't know but it's the law, and you are under arrest”. News got out about the incident and Martin Luther King Jr. took the opportunity to start a huge Civil Rights movement. And with Parks, they fought for their rights.