Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks, born on February 4, 1913, in Tuskegee, Alabama, became an iconic figure in the American Civil Rights Movement. Her refusal to give up her seat to a white passenger on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama, on December 1, 1955, sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott and became a pivotal moment in the struggle for racial equality.

Parks was a civil rights activist long before her famous act of defiance. She was involved with the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) and had attended workshops on civil disobedience and activism. Her refusal to give up her seat was a deliberate and strategic act, planned with the knowledge that it would challenge the unjust laws of segregation in Montgomery.

Following her arrest for violating segregation laws, the African American community, led by figures like Martin Luther King Jr., organized a boycott of the city's bus system. The boycott lasted for 381 days, during which African Americans carpooled, walked, or found alternative means of transportation. The Supreme Court eventually ruled that segregation on public buses was unconstitutional, marking a significant victory for the Civil Rights Movement.

Despite facing harassment, threats, and financial difficulties during and after the boycott, Parks remained committed to the cause of civil rights. She and her husband eventually moved to Detroit, Michigan, where she continued her activism, working as a secretary and administrative assistant for U.S. Representative John Conyers.

Rosa Parks became an internationally recognized symbol of resistance to racial segregation and injustice. She received numerous awards and honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. Parks passed away on October 24, 2005, leaving behind a legacy of courage, determination, and resilience in the face of injustice.