What comes to mind when you think of Rosa Parks? The girl on the bus who wouldn’t give up her seat to a white man or the woman who was the spark that started the Civil Rights movement. Rosa Parks was born on February 4, 1913 in Tuskegee, Alabama. She was also known for starting the Rosa and Raymond Institute for the Young and helping them know the history of their life. Rosa Parks went to an all African American school where her mother was a teacher. Rosa parks became known as the first lady of the Civil Rights and the spark that started the Civil Rights, she also became widely know for not giving up her seat to a white man on a bus.
Rosa parks refused to give up her seat to a white many on a bus in Alabama. Rosa was then considered the spark that started the Civil Rights. ”People always say that I didn’t give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn’t true. I was not tired physically…… No the only tired I was, was tired of giving up” (Parks). On Thursday December 1, 1995 rosa parks was headed home on the bus she takes everyday. She walks past the empty white only seats and she goes and sits down in the colored only section. ”All I was trying to do was get home” (Parks).
The bus continues along it route and the bus drivers notices that there are white people standing and orders the colored section to move in order for the white people to sit down. Everyone sits down, except for Rosa. When the driver asked her to move again all she says is no. The driver leaves the bus and comes back with the police and Rosa is arrested for violating the segregation laws. Rosa is then bailed out of jail by Mr. E. D Nixon and he is determined to make sure that no one else has to suffer the way that Rosa was. Whites would accuse you of causing trouble when all you were doing was acting like a normal human being instead of cringing” (Parks).
Rosa Parks helped start a 381 day boycott of the bus system that got her arrested. On December 2nd, Nixon called a meeting of the leaders to help fight back on bus segregation. ” I am tired of being treated as a second class citizen” (Parks). Knowing that the bus system depended heavily on the African American part of the city the leaders decided to call a boycott on the bus. ”Whatever my individual desires were to be free, I was not alone.
There were many others who felt the same way” (Parks). On December 5th, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and others wait for at a bus spot for the buses to come by. When the buses start come the group of people look in the window and see that no African American are on the bus and that the boycott is working. The same day Rosa Parks goes to court for being arrested. The judge finds her guilty of breaking segregation laws and fines her with a total of $14. Rosa Parks lawyer, Fred. D. Gray, says that he is going to appeal the case to the U. S. Supreme Court.
Later that night, people gather at a church to hear Martin speak. People leave determined to keep the boycott going. “As far back as I can remember, I knew there was something wrong with our way of life when people could be mistreated because of the color of their skin” (Parks). People have three plans to change, change laws about having African Americans give up seats for white people, bus drivers must be courteous to all passengers and they have to hire African American to become bus drivers. ”Time begins the healing process of wounds cut deeply by oppression.
We soothe ourselves with the salve of attempted indifference, accepting the false pattern set up by the horrible restriction of Jim Crow laws” (Parks). Rosa Parks was involved in many organizations that helped people join her cause. “I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear” (Parks). Rosa Parks spoke to people who had been treated poorly by the segregation laws and listen to their stories and knew how to help them. “Each person must live their life as a model for others. ” (Parks)
Rosa parks and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. worked very closely to make sure that people had equal rights and that the segregation laws were soon to be leaving and it’s hurtful ways. Looking at rosa parks had gone through many things before her arrest for not giving up her seat on the bus. Rosa parks had been known for doing many civil rights movements before she was arrested and still continued to do civil rights things after her arrest. Rosa parks was not the only person to refuse to give up her seat to a white person and she was certainly not the last person to do that.
I believe we are here on the planet Earth to live, grow up and do what we can to make this world a better place for all people to enjoy freedom. ” (Parks). When people started to her about her, she started to give people hope that a change was coming to them and that the segregation laws maybe are coming to an end and that a better life was coming. All the organizations that were made or co Founded by Rosa parks helped people today and will continue to help people throughout time. ”The Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute accepts people of any race. We don’t discriminate against anyone.
We teach people to reach their highest potential. I set examples by the way I lead my life” ( Parks). Rosa Parks co founded “The Rosa and Raymond institute for self development”. Which is a place where young people can go and be motivated to reach their highest potential through training and learning life skills. Also to teach the young people about what rosa parks stood for and why it is important for people to learn all the sacrifices that she has made for the future generations. Rosa Parks also took place in a organization call the MIA. Which stood for Montgomery Improvement Association. I would like to be known as a person who is concerned about freedom and equality and justice and prosperity for all people. ”(Parks).
The organization mainly stood for helping organizing the bus boycott and helping African americans to get the rights that they deserved. Rosa was also part of the board of planned parenthood . Rosa was also known for her way of speaking to people and how she would reach out to people and how her and Dr. martin luther king served side by side helping the people who didn’t have rights gain them through protesting and boycotting system that had been unfair to them. you must never be fearful about what you are doing when it is right” (Parks).
Rosa Parks did everything she could to help people get the equal rights that everyone deserved. She never turned someone down when they came to her for help. Rosa Parks became widely know for not giving up her to seat to a white many on a bus in Alabama. Rosa parks work is still seen in the world with all of the non segregation in the out world. As of today rosa parks in the only black woman who is buried in the U. S capitol.