Micah Austin
11/11/2016
The Hero Rosa Parks
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| Rosa Parks |
Early Life and Education: Rosa Parks was born to James and Leona
Edwards McCauley, February 4, 1913 in Tuskegee, Alabama. Rosa Parks grew up
around the heavily populated Pine Level area of Alabama, after her parents separated,
to live with her mother and her family. In the Pine level area, Rosa was
educated in the rural segregated school, where white students would ride the
school bus to school; she would have to walk every day because of the oppressive
Jim Crow laws. Rosa overall had a tough childhood, with her grandparents being
former slaves, causing multiple attacks upon her family’s life to occur. At one
point the Klu Klux Klan (KKK), marched upon the house to scare and intimidate her
family.[1]
Rosa’s mother, Leona, wanting a better education for her daughter,
sent Rosa to Montgomery Industrial School for Girls. After completing her
mother’s wishes to go to the all-girls school, Rosa decided to go to Alabama
State Teacher’s College High School. While she was in her last year of teachers
college, Rosa had to go home, take care of her grandmother, and mother who
became very ill. This required Rosa to delay her education, forcing her to go
and work at a shirt factory close to where she lived.[2]
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| Jim Crow Laws |
Marriage and Civil
Rights: By 1932, at the
age of 19, Rosa met her husband Raymond Parks. Self-Educated by his mother Geri
Parks, Raymond became the local barber where Rosa lived. When the two got
married, both became members of the National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People. With the two having a substantial source for income, Rosa
finished her degree in 1933. Both Rosa and Raymond became aggressively involved
in civil rights issues across the country, including many cases like the “Scottsboro
Boys” case in the 1930’s. In 1943, both joined the Montgomery chapter of the
NAACP in 1943, serving as the youths leaders of that chapter. The highest position
that Rosa had until leaving the chapter was NAACP secretary to the NAACP
President E.D Nixon until 1957.[3]
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| Good Video to watch!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPvwKP8G4sA |
The Bus: After a long day’s work, Rosa
Parks boarded a Cleveland Avenue bus to go home. She decided to take a seat in
the first of several rows designated for “colored” passengers near the front of
the bus. However, as the route continued, it began to fill up with multiple
white passengers. The driver stopped the bus noticing that multiple white
people were standing. The driver than told the black passengers sitting in the
front to sit in the back of the bus, all but Rosa Parks went to the back. The
driver demanded, "Why don't you stand up?" to which Rosa responded
with, "I don't think I should have to stand up." The driver called
the police and had her arrested. Later, Rosa recalled that her refusal was not
because she was physically tired, but that she was tired of giving in to the
Jim Crow laws. The police arrested Rosa and charged her with violation of
Chapter 6, Section 11, of the Montgomery City Code. Rosa then went to jail, and
released on bail.[4]
Aftermath: Rosa Parks’ show of
opposition led to the formation of the Montgomery Improvement Association, led
by pastor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The association called for a boycott of
the city-owned bus company. The boycott lasted up to 382 days and brought Mrs.
Parks, Dr. King, and their cause to the attention of the entire world. This
caused Supreme Court Decision struck down the Montgomery ordinance under which Mrs.
Parks was fined, and outlawed racial segregation on public transportation. In
1957, Mrs. Parks and her husband after the incident, moved to Detroit, Michigan where Mrs. Parks
served on the staff of U.S. Representative John Conyers. The Southern Christian
Leadership Council established overtime, established annual Rosa Parks Freedom Award in her honor.[5]
Overall Rosa Parks to me is a hero for Civil
Rights and fabulous women, Comment Below!!!! Let me hear what you guys think
about Rosa Parks and her Impact on Civil Rights and the World.
[1] Biography.com Editors. "Rosa
Parks Biography Civil Rights Activist." Bio.com, February 18, 2016. Accessed November 11, 2016. http://www.biography.com/people/rosa-parks-9433715.
[2] Rosa & Raymond Parks Institute.
"BIOGRAPHY | Rosa Parks." Rosa
Parks, Accessed November 11, 2016. http://www.rosaparks.org/biography/.
[3] Academy
of Achievement. "Rosa Parks Biography." -- Academy of Achievement, Accessed November 11, 2016.
http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/par0bio-1.
[4] Biography.com
Editors. "Rosa Parks Biography Civil Rights Activist." Bio.com, February 18, 2016. Accessed
November 11, 2016. http://www.biography.com/people/rosa-parks-9433715.
[5] Academy
of Achievement. "Rosa Parks Biography." -- Academy of Achievement, Accessed November 11, 2016.
http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/par0bio-1.
