Rosa Parks

Who was Rosa Parks?

Rosa Parks was an African American seamstress who was famous for her involvement in the Montgomery Bus Boycott which helped the civil rights movement begin. She is often referred to as 'the mother of the civil rights movement'.

When was Rosa Parks important?

Rosa Parks became important in 1955.

What did Rosa Parks do before the Montgomery Bus Boycott?

There are 4 key to note about Rosa Parks before the Montgomery Bus Boycott:

• ❖ She worked as a seamstress.
• ❖ She was a member of the NAACP.
• ❖ From 1943, she was the secretary of the Montgomery branch of the NAACP.
• ❖ She worked as a youth leader for the NAACP.

What was Rosa Parks' role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott?

Rosa Parks was involved in the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 4 key ways:

• ❖ On 1st December 1955, when asked by the bus driver to give up her seat in the non-white section of the bus to a white man, she refused.
• ❖ As a result of this refusal, Rosa was arrested and fined $10.
• ❖ Her arrest triggered a bus boycott by African Americans. The boycott was called for by the Women's Political Council (WPC) and organised by the Montgomery Improvement Association.
• ❖ The boycott started on 5th December 1955, the day Rosa Parks was in court, and lasted until 21st December, 1956, when the buses were finally integrated.

What did Rosa Parks do after the Montgomery Bus Boycott?

After the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Rosa Parks took 4 main actions:

• ❖ She and her family moved to Detroit due to harassment.
• ❖ She worked for Congressman John Conyers Jr. between 1965 and 1988, when she retired.
• ❖ She continued to support civil rights and toured America giving speeches and attending events.
• ❖ In 1992, her autobiography, Rosa Parks: My Story, was published.

When did Rosa Parks die?

Rosa Parks died on 24th October, 2005.