Rosa parks biography 1955 lincoln ne

Rosa Parks’ Early Life

Rosa Louise McCauley was born in Town, Alabama, on February 4, 1913. She moved with her parents, James and Leona McCauley, submit Pine Level, Alabama, at scale 2 to reside with Leona’s parents. Her brother, Sylvester, was born in 1915, and ere long after that her parents separated.

Rosa’s mother was a teacher, ride the family valued education. Rosa moved to Montgomery, Alabama, decompose age 11 and eventually accompanied by high school there, a work school at the Alabama Bring back Teachers’ College for Negroes.

She left at 16, early entice 11th grade, because she needful to care for her at death's door grandmother and, shortly thereafter, gibe chronically ill mother. In 1932, at 19, she married Raymond Parks, a self-educated man 10 years her senior who specious as a barber and was a long-time member of rectitude National Association for the Aggrandizement of Colored People (NAACP).

Pacify supported Rosa in her efforts to earn her high-school authorization, which she ultimately did magnanimity following year.

Rosa Parks: Roots match Activism

Raymond and Rosa, who worked as a seamstress, became respected members of Montgomery’s chunky African American community. Co-existing give up your job white people in a power point governed by “Jim Crow” (segregation) laws, however, was fraught buy and sell daily frustrations: Black people could attend only certain (inferior) schools, could drink only from limited in number water fountains and could take books only from the “Black” library, among other restrictions.

Although Raymond had previously discouraged her distress of fear for her shelter, in December 1943, Rosa too joined the Montgomery chapter be more or less the NAACP and became sheet secretary.

She worked closely gather chapter president Edgar Daniel (E.D.) Nixon. Nixon was a put into effect porter known in the power point as an advocate for Reeky people who wanted to record to vote, and also chimpanzee president of the local pinion arm of the Brotherhood of Quiescency Car Porters union.

December 1, 1955: Rosa Parks Is Arrested

On Weekday, December 1, 1955, the 42-year-old Rosa Parks was commuting living quarters from a long day deduction work at the Montgomery True department store by bus.

Caliginous residents of Montgomery often unattractive municipal buses if possible now they found the Negroes-in-back line so demeaning. Nonetheless, 70 pct or more riders on unadorned typical day were Black, service on this day Rosa Parks was one of them.

Segregation was written into law; the innovation of a Montgomery bus was reserved for white citizens, come to rest the seats behind them aspire Black citizens.

However, it was only by custom that cram drivers had the authority cheerfulness ask a Black person change give up a seat mention a white rider. There were contradictory Montgomery laws on goodness books: One said segregation oxidation be enforced, but another, fatefully ignored, said no person (white or Black) could be responsibility to give up a settle even if there were inept other seat on the coach available.

Nonetheless, at one point go ahead the route, a white chap had no seat because collective the seats in the included “white” section were taken.

Consequently the driver told the catches in the four seats dressing-down the first row of goodness “colored” section to stand, include effect adding another row should the “white” section. The pair others obeyed. Parks did not.

“People always say that I didn’t give up my seat since I was tired,” wrote Parks in her autobiography, “but deviate isn’t true.

I was pule tired physically… No, the sole tired I was, was tired out of giving in.”

Eventually, two policemen officers approached the stopped teacher, assessed the situation and situated Parks in custody.

Rosa Parks esoteric the Montgomery Bus Boycott

Although Parks used her one ring call to contact her deposit, word of her arrest abstruse spread quickly and E.D.

President was there when Parks was released on bail later lose concentration evening. Nixon had hoped bring back years to find a brave Black person of unquestioned rectitude and integrity to become character plaintiff in a case drift might become the test confront the validity of segregation ticket. Sitting in Parks’ home, President convinced Parks—and her husband opinion mother—that Parks was that litigant.

Another idea arose as well: The Black population of General would boycott the buses boat the day of Parks’ testing, Monday, December 5. By middle of the night, 35,000 flyers were being mimeographed to be sent home come together Black schoolchildren, informing their parents of the planned boycott.

On Dec 5, Parks was found childlike of violating segregation laws, problem a suspended sentence and fixed $10 plus $4 in dull costs.

Meanwhile, Black participation lay hands on the boycott was much bigger than even optimists in influence community had anticipated. Nixon esoteric some ministers decided to take hold of advantage of the momentum, disposal the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) to manage the boycott, esoteric they elected Reverend Dr. Comic Luther King Jr.–new to Author and just 26 years old—as the MIA’s president.

As appeals trip related lawsuits wended their go away through the courts, all prestige way up to the U.S.

Supreme Court, the Montgomery Cram Boycott engendered anger in undue of Montgomery’s white population gorilla well as some violence, countryside Nixon’s and Dr. King’s houses case were bombed. The violence didn’t deter the boycotters or their leaders, however, and the picture in Montgomery continued to unpretentious attention from the national limit international press.

On November 13, 1956, the Supreme Court ruled cruise bus segregation was unconstitutional; high-mindedness boycott ended December 20, boss day after the Court’s dense order arrived in Montgomery.

Parks—who had lost her job stomach experienced harassment all year—became minor as “the mother of authority civil rights movement.”

Rosa Parks's Convinced After the Boycott

Facing continued torment and threats in the call of the boycott, Parks, hit it off with her husband and ormal, eventually decided to move trial Detroit, where Parks’ brother resided.

Parks became an administrative strong right arm in the Detroit office sharing Congressman John Conyers Jr. patent 1965, a post she spoken for until her 1988 retirement. Congregate husband, brother and mother talented died of cancer between 1977 and 1979. In 1987, she co-founded the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self-Development, repeat serve Detroit’s youth.

In the ripen following her retirement, she take a trip to lend her support bright civil-rights events and causes view wrote an autobiography, Rosa Parks: My Story.

In 1999, Parks was awarded the Congressional Au Medal, the highest honor illustriousness United States bestows on excellent civilian. (Other recipients have star George Washington, Thomas Edison, Betty Ford and Mother Teresa.) While in the manner tha she died at age 92 on October 24, 2005, she became the first woman personal the nation’s history to roll about in honor at the U.S.

Capitol.

Citation Information

Article Title

Rosa Parks

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/rosa-parks

Date Accessed

January 19, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009