The Courage To Take Action: A Lesson From Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks was a normal young black woman,she was heading home but was caught in the civil rights movement in the country. Racial discrimination was being condemned as a stiff and unlawful system. African Americans were mandatory to depart their seats in the back of the bus for any white passenger who couldn’t find a seat at the front of the bus. While Rosa Parks headed home that day,sitting at

“You must never be fearful about what you are doing when it is right.” This was said by Rosa Parks. She was an enormous inspiration to the African American Race. She was one among many who lived in a rough time for African Americans. She lived in a time when equality wasn’t really equal. When African Americans were scared/ weren’t allowed to state their opinions on different matters. However, Rosa Parks was an individual who stood up for herself. Rosa Parks helped the Civil Rights Movement and African Americans gain equality mainly through her courage and refusal to move.

He says “But the fact that they could rise to the occasion as they did, these imperfect human beings, and do what they did is also, of course, a testimony to their humanity”. Meaning that everyone has their own flaws, regrets, and weaknesses, but the ones who overcome them are the ones that help us the most. Martin Luther King Jr. is an example of someone who has stood up for humanity when no one else did. He was a leader in the African-American Civil Rights movement that used nonviolence civil disobedeance against segregation. He organized non-violent protests and delivered many speeches and because of his brave accomplishments he changed the view of segregation. A woman named Rosa Parks was also part of the civil rights movement when she refused to get up her seat in the bus to a white passenger; this story became a symbol for the racial segregation. Both Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks are prime examples of what it means when your character and destiny defines who you rather than your

Martin Luther King Jr. is an idol for most people; Rosa Parks was one of them. She admired his bold integrity to stand up for what is right in equality. Dr. King was a light to the world, because people wanted things to change, but they were afraid. They did not want to be arrested or attacked. They could boycott. They could refuse to ride the buses. That would cost the city a lot of money. The city and bus officials would not like that. This was a way Dr. King was standing up for Rosa. I added Dr. King to Rosa’s friends, because I felt he made a great impact on her life. If it weren’t for Martin Luther King’s heroic act in taking charge of the situation, Rosa Parks may have been in jail longer than intended, with a possible worse penalty.

Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks were inspirational leaders that contributed greatly towards the civil rights movement. With racial discrimination surrounding King and Park, growing up as an African American made it hard and colored people were unfairly treated. Both King and Park knew the inequalities and sought education to aid themselves in their unfair life. Despite this, Park and King were brought up responsibly by their parents, King was an active civil rights activist, participating in the ‘Montgomery Bus Boycott’, ‘March on Washington’ and lead the ‘Selma to Montgomery march’. Rosa Parks was an influential figure contributing to the civil rights movement as she was the chosen ‘test case’ the NCAACP were looking for.

History books teach children a story about a quiet woman who had had enough and refused to give up her seat on the bus, which is not entirely true. Rosa Parks was a very vocal woman when it came to standing up against white supremacy. Which means that History got a part of the Rosa Parks story wrong and an author by the name of Jeanne Theoharis would fully agree to that. She would agree because she wrote an article titled, “How History Got the Rosa Parks Story Wrong”. In the article, Theoharis used evidence, such as facts and quotes, and powerful word choice in order to strengthen her claim that even though Rosa Parks was seen as a quiet symbol of civil rights progress, her contributions to the fight for racial equality reveal a life-long

Would you have ever thought that disobeying against the law would make the world a better place? Back in the 1920’s and early 1960’s, African Americans had to go to separate schools then that of white people. Blacks had separate water fountains, seats on the bus, and were treated as second class citizens. Those who weren’t white suffered the consequences of a matter they couldn’t control; however, they fought back with civil disobedience. Civil disobedience is fighting against the laws in a respectful and peaceful manner (Suber). This form of action was used to speak up for a community who was suffering and only wanted to live as everyone else. Civil disobedience is a protest that says “we only want peace”.

I surely do not know the author’s thesis on civil rights, I just understand that he knows Rosa Park's thesis and view on civil rights and how she contributed to creating them. The author tells the reader how Rosa Parks was always modest about her role in the civil rights movement, giving credit to a higher power for her decision not to give up her seat. the author ends with Rosa Park quoting, “I was fortunate God provided me with the strength needed at the precise time conditions were ripe for change. I am thankful to him every day that he gave me the strength not to move.” An article in the New York Times explains that: For Rosa Parks, her decision not to give up her seat to a white man on a Montgomery Alabama, bus on Dec. 1, 1955 wasn't the first time the seamstress had chosen not to give in. They also explain how Parks had been an active member of the local NAACP chapter since 1943 and how they had marched on behalf of the Scottsboro boys, who were arrested in Alabama in 1931 for raping two white women. It goes on to say with a simple act of refusal, a move which landed Parks in prison, a motion like the Montgomery Bus Boycott who set off to start the Civil Rights Movement. They end the article by saying when the bulldogs and water hoses were unleashed a decade later, in the streets of

Civil Disobedience is the act of purposely opposing and breaking a law that has been created by the government. When one hears the word "disobedience", one pulls a negative connotation from it; however, Civil Disobedience can sometimes lead to great and immense positive change that can benefit society as a whole. Two wonderful examples of this can be seen in Rosa Parks' refusal to relinquish her seat to a white man, and in MLK'S "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" where he states why he and his fellow marchers must continue to practice Civil Disobedience and to march despite being told they would be arrested if they did so.

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

Rosa Parks was an important person towards the evolution of a civil rights movement. This occurred on December 1st, 1955, when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat. Even though in today’s society, this can be a show of a childish gesture. But, during the time of a civil movement; this had a significant impact on people of both races. African Americans now had a chance to speak up and follow the footsteps of Rosa Parks. This includes people such as the memorable Martin Luther King. However, the actions Rosa Parks committed had consequences. This would continue until the newer generations to come. In, “Rosa Parks Redux: Racial Mobility Projects on the Journey to Work”, it states the following statement. “Her refusal crystallized the insidious nature of segregation in the South and laid bare its brutal banality. Sixty years later, cities in the putatively post racial era continue to generate profound racial inequalities, and commuting continues to embody, reveal, and sometimes contest the twenty-first-century city as a generator of racial inequality.” Even after so much time, people still want change because equality is not wupon every

‘’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 became tired of the segregation and the fact that she had to sit in the back of the bus to make room for the white people, so one day she refused to get out of her seat when the bus driver told her to, leading to her getting arrested and starting the freedom movement. Martin Luther King Jr., was an American Baptist minister who was also tired of the segregation and wanted to live in a world where the whites and blacks could both be treated equally. He began leading non-violent freedom movements ending legal segregation, changing the way society lived for many years, and making history. In a Talk to Teachers Baldwin explained that if he was a teacher, he would teach his students “ that there are currently very few standards in this country which are worth a man’s respect. That it is up to him to change these standards for the sake of the life and the health of the country,” which is an important thing for teachers to do, because while he doesn’t change society as a whole, he is changing the way this kid sees the world and they way he is going to live his life and changing the perspective of one person makes all the difference. Baldwin also states that “In order for me to live, I decided very early that some mistake had been made somewhere. I was not a “nigger” even though you called me one. But if I was a “nigger” in your eyes, there was something about you –

I think that it was a great thing that Rosa stood up for what she thought and didn’t stay quiet and she got what she wanted and was a really hard worker and many african americans were proud of here for that. Another great thing that Rosa did was didn’t care if she went to jail and she didn’t know that she was changing history all she cared about was getting home and all she wanted to do when she got on the bus and she had to move but she didn’t. On December 1 1955 Rosa parks did not want to give her seat up to a white man because she was so exhausted ( Rosa Parks 100th Birthday Paragraph 1).

What would cause someone to say these words? The woman who started a movement to end Jim Crow and allow African-Americans to have the same rights as any other American. The woman’s name is Rosa Parks.