Rosa Parks: The American Dream

Civil rights activist Rosa Parks was born on February 4, 1913, in Tuskegee, Alabama. At the age of two she moved to her grandparents' farm in Pine Level, Alabama with her mother and younger brother, Sylvester. At the age of 11 she enrolled in the Montgomery Industrial School for Girls, a private school founded by liberal-minded women from the northern United States. The school's philosophy of self-worth was consistent with Leona McCauley's advice to "take advantage of the opportunities, no matter how few they were." Her refusal to surrender her seat to a white passenger on a Montgomery, Alabama bus spurred a city-wide boycott. The city of Montgomery had no choice but to lift the law requiring segregation on public buses. Rosa Parks

Little did Rosa know that a simple act of courage would change the course of American history. That day she was arrested for violating Montgomery's transportation laws and took her to jail. She was soon released on a one-hundred dollar bail. A trial was scheduled for December 5, 1955. Her arrest brought a protest of seven thousand blacks in her community. Her community was small but every African American member of her town was sure to be protesting for her release that day. This protest rapidly started the creation of the Montgomery Improvement Association. The most involved and determined person besides Parks in this movement was Martin Luther King Jr. would call for a one-day bus boycott which ended up extending after Rosa was found guilty. Rosa was fined ten dollars. Rosa once again refused to pay any money and appealed her case. Rosa Parks and her husband both lost their jobs and were harassed and ridiculed for what happened on the bus. Most whites would say she made a fool out of herself and she embarrassed

Rosa Parks is a civil rights activist and is a tragic hero known for her Strength, bravery, wisdom, peace and perseverance taking a major role in the Montgomery bus boycott and standing up against oppression, She and many others stood up for their rights, She refused to surrender her seat on a segregated Montgomery Alabama city bus on the day of December 1, 1955 which began the 381 day long Montgomery Bus Boycott which then helped launch the nation wide efforts to end segregation of public facilities.

She was a strong and determined civil rights activist who refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white person. She believed in rights for African Americans and had hope for the future she wanted. And when she refused to give up her seat, the bus driver had her arrested. She was later asked about her bold act, and said that “my refusal wasn’t because I was physically tired, but that I was tired of giving in.” Her attitude towards this dilemma sparked a rebellion against the oppression that was put upon African Americans and was called the Montgomery boycott. Which was when the black population of Montgomery boycotted the same bus company that racially discriminated Rosa Parks. This historical event was to be considered victorious, as 40,000 African Americans opted to walk to work instead of riding the bus, some even as far 20 miles. Without Rosa’s optimism today, who knows where we would be? Her optimism has shaped our world for the better by instilling hope for the cure of cancer that plagues this world. Racial

Rosa Louis McCauley was born in Tuskegee, Alabama, on February 4 , 1913. When Rosa was just a two years old, her father moved out, leaving her Mother and little brother, Sylvester to take of themselves. The small, split family then moved in with Rosa Grandparents, who

Even though Rosa Parks stood up for her rights she still suffered after the arrest. She lost her department store job and her husband was fired because he talked about Rosa’s legal case to his boss. They had to leave Montgomery because they could not find any other jobs, no one would hire her. They ended up moving to Detroit Michigan and she found a job as a secretary and receptionist in U.S. Representative John Conyers congressional office. She also started to serve on the board of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

After 381days of the community of blacks started boycotting the bus system (which is 60% of the town), Dr. King participating in the movement, KKK riots, and bombing homes, the supreme court agreed that the separation was unlawful and they lifted segregation nationally in 1964. Parks was greatly awarded for her courageous act (Moulton). She received the Congressional Gold medal, the Spingarn award, the Martin Luther King Jr. Award, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Also, she was listed in “The 20 Most Influential People of the 20th Century” in TIME magazine. Parks also published a book telling about her stories of segregation and her act of civil disobedience

Douglas argues that fifty years after Parks made history by refusing to give up her seat on a bus, Rosa Parks at last gets the biography she deserves. Douglas Brinkley follows this incredible woman from her childhood through her early involvement in the NAACP, “In 1949, She became advisor to the informal NAACP Youth group that grew into the organization's official youth council in 1953.” Her moment of courage during the bus boycott has made her both a beloved and resented image of the civil rights movement. Douglas talks about Parks as an American heroine and how she got through the tumultuous times of her life.

‘’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.

Rosa Parks was known for her unplanned act of defiance that lead to the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955 (Dudley 258). The attributes that she contributed to Civil Rights was her commitment to the cause, her positive attitude, and her ability to inspire others. Rosa Parks had got onto a public bus after a long day of work, and her feet were hurting, so she decided to sit in the white section. The white people complained and the bus driver told her if she did not get up, then she would be arrested. Nevertheless, with Rosa Park’s refusal to get up, it led to her arrest. Due to her commitment to the cause she stood up for racial equality, and though all of the turmoil she encountered she kept a positive attitude. Her ability to inspire others was remarkable, therefore it led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The boycott was due to the fact that African Americans were exasperated due to the fact that they were not being treated equally. This then led to all African Americans walking to and from wherever they were

Rosa Parks is, apart from Martin Luther King Jr., arguably one of the most important figures of the civil rights movement. Her most notable protest is considered to be when she refused to change seats in a bus when a white man approached her and expected her to move due to the social norms of that time period. This led to a newsworthy story, and brought attention to the extreme discrimination that black people endured. Not only did Rosa Parks stand for black people's rights, she also stood for women's rights by standing up to the patriarchy and fighting against a white man. Her use of civil disobedience allowed her to effectively fight against the racial prejudice to which she was subjected,

“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.

(Parks allowed black leaders to use her arrest to spark a boycott of the bus system.)

Rosa Parks was the center of one of the greatest civil rights movements in the mid-20th-century. She became an icon due to her calm refusal to give up her seat to a white man, which triggered the Montgomery Bus Boycott beginning in 1955 (Baggett, 2016). Rosa Parks acted with courage and stood up for what she believed in; paving the way for many American citizens to follow in her footsteps - or lack of footsteps. She stayed true to herself and inspired others to take similar courageous actions throughout the civil rights movement in America.

According to rosaparksfacts.com Rosa Louise McCauley as you also may know as Rosa Parks had a rough childhood. Rosa Parks’ full name is Rosa Louise McCauley and she was born on February 4, 1913. She was born in Tuskegee, Alabama. James and Leona McCauley were Rosa’s parents. James McCauley (her father) was a carpenter, Leona McCauley (her mother) was a teacher, and she also had a brother. When she was younger she was sick much of the time. Her parents eventually separated and her mother took her and her brother and moved to Pine Level, a town next to Montgomery, Alabama. Rosa spent the rest of her childhood on her grandparents' farm. Rosa’s childhood in Montgomery helped her develop strong roots in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. She did not attend a public school until the age of eleven. But, she was home schooled by her mother. At age eleven she attended the Industrial School for Girls in