Preview

Essay on Rosa Parks

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
2032 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Essay on Rosa Parks
Rosa Louise Parks was an extraordinary African American civil rights activist whose heroic actions sparked the beginning of the monumental civil rights movement within the United States of America.

Rosa Parks firmly stood up for what she believed and it was time for her to show the world who she was and what she believed in. Rosa was born on February 4th, 1913 in Tuskegee, Alabama. Every since she was a little girl, her mother knew that God had a special purpose for her. She was raised by her mother because her father was never around. She recalled that he would stay several days and then leave again. She never saw him any more until she was an adult and married (Brinkley 21). She lived with her mother and brother in a small house. Her mother was a school teacher who sometimes traveled out of state to teach in different schools and in black churches. Rosa was also raised in part by her grandparents who lived nearby.

Growing up was hard for Rosa. It is upsetting to think that innocent children lives were in danger, because of the members of the Ku Klux Klan. This was a secret society that originated in southern states. Its purpose was to reassert white supremacy by the means of terrorism. Klan members would parade up and down the streets in front of Rosa's home. They never attacked her family, but she felt the violence of white supremacy at a very young age (Brinkley 25).

Rosa moved to Montgomery, Alabama at the age of eleven and her mom enrolled her at Montgomery Industrial school for girls. All of the teachers at this school were white, while the student body of two hundred and thirty to three hundred were entirely black. However she dropped out of school at the age of sixteen to care for both her grandmother, who died soon after, and then for her ailing mother. She was practically taking care of herself as well as her family, while the pressures of white supremacy, still were in full effect (Encarta 1).

Rosa also grew up under a strict racist law

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    Rosa Parks

    • 2278 Words
    • 10 Pages

    Even though you might not think Rosa Parks was a significant black women and that she was just another black lady, she did a lot for African Americans, by helping blacks and whites unite. Through her courage of staying on that bus, she had proven a lot to the whites about blacks and what they are capable of doing. She not only changed history, but she also made a name for herself, because she stood up for herself and showed the whites we are all equal and should be treated and one kind. Rosa Parks had a humongous influence on the Jim Crow laws and the Civil Rights movement as well.…

    • 2278 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    She Rosa Parks is one of the many African Americans who stood up for what was was heading back home on the bus when she noticed that every seat was taken in the black section, so she moved to the neutral section. She noticed the bus had been making lots of stops for blacks. By the time whites got on there were no more seats so they said for Rosa to move. She thought of everyone standing up to the whites and she said back “ NO”. They called the cops and some blacks started to walk away out of trouble. When the police was there she still said no even though she knew she was going to be arrested.…

    • 457 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Rosa Parks was an African American civil rights activist known as the “mother of the modern day civil rights movement” born on February 4, 1913, in Tuskegee, Alabama. Parks had ancestors that were slaves and was very aware of segregation. She earned the name of the “mother of the modern day civil rights movement” in December of 1955 by refusing to give up her seat to a white man as she was told to do by the bus driver. She did this with the intention of a new movement with better rights for all colored people. Parks got arrested and charged for her refusal and the city started a boycott of the bus line called the Montgomery bus boycott.…

    • 326 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Most of Civil Right Leaders’ accomplishments are always tainted as an unintentional coincidence. Rosa Parks’ incident on the bus, where she was asked to give up her seat to a white man, made her known as the face of the civil rights movement. Even though she took bold and clear actions, she was labeled as a quiet, old woman who happened to be in an unfortunate incident accidentally. In the article, “ How History Got the Rosa Parks Story Wrong”, Theoharis uses documentary evidence to show how Rosa Parks was a lifelong activist, a rebel and an outspoken person to challenge the belief Rosa Parks was a quiet woman.…

    • 1167 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Rosa parks major protest to ignite civil rights movement .Rosa parks got the presidential medal of freedom.Rosa parks attended the alabama state teachers park .Rosa parks moved to detroit in 1957. civil rights was led by a man named Dr martin luther king jr.rosa lived on the edwards farm.The bus that rosa rode they had a section called reserved section or white section. They called her all kinds of insulting names. They said you black cows and apes get back. December 1,1955 rosa stopped working at the montgomery fair.White would accuse you of causing trouble. rosa said she had so much trouble with the bus drivers. Some bus drivers was kinder than others rosa said. They told them if they sand over the white people they will throw them over to the law. When they tried to go into a place they told them to go on around to the black door negro. Rosa had paid her fare and the bus driver still told her to exit the bus.They said you guys better on yourselves and let me have those seats.They would arrest black people when they was just being a normal…

    • 412 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Rosa parks was a famed civil rights activist she was born in february 4 1993 in tuskegee alabama and she was know for not giving up her seat up to a white person when the white section was filled up and she was arrested for not giving her seat up to a white person .…

    • 235 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    During the lifetime of Rosa Parks, she was put up against many battles that she over came by always staying positive and never giving up. Rosa Parks can be compared to Jackie Robinson in many ways. Jackie Robinson was put on an all white baseball team in the late 1940s. African Americans were not accepted in baseball since it was considered a “white man’s game”. Rosa Parks was an African American lady who sat in the front of the bus even though blacks were suppose to sit in the back. Being discriminated for not looking like everybody else is the reason they both stood up for themselves. Rosa never listened to the law and Jackie never stopped playing baseball just because it was “white mans game”.…

    • 462 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Rosa Parks Research Paper

    • 779 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Rosa parks had changed history. Rosa parks was born on February 4, 1913, and died October 24, 2005, at the age 92. Rosa Parks had a very exciting childhood, and had only one sibling. On December 1, 1995, while riding a bus, Mrs.Parks refused to give her seat to a white man, which was against Alabama's racial segregation laws. Because Mrs.Parks was african american, she had to move off of her seat. When Mrs.Parks refused to give her seat to a white man, the bus driver had told her to get off, but she refused. Consequently, Mrs.parks was arrested and she influenced towards the new movement called the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a period of about 381 days, which included more than 90% of african americans not riding the bus. The Montgomery Bus Boycott left a lot of white people unhappy. After the long period of not riding the bus, profits were low. Bus drivers did not make as much money as they did before the bus boycott started. Because bus profits were so low, the government had no choice, but to charge an even higher tax on taxi cars and on public buses. The government had ordered taxi drivers to now charge forty five cents per person, and if they refused they would go to jail. When Rosa parks was in jail,(which she lasted only one night in) Jo Ann Robinson (one of the first leaders of the boycott) had stayed up all night working on flyers that she had planned to hang up about the boycott. When Rosa Parks had finally gone out of jail, she was surprised that her actions took such great impact on society. Once Mrs.Parks had continued to protest, black churches across the country had donated shoes to protesters. They had donated shoes to protesters because they knew that protesting involved a lot of walking , and that wore out shoes. Rosa Parks was important during the civil rights movement because she proved that no matter what race you are, you have the right to stand up for your rights no matter what it…

    • 779 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Racism has always been an issue in the United States. African Americans were always treated badly and were denied basic rights like eating at a certain restaurant or even sitting at certain place in a bus. However on December 1st one woman had had enough of the unfair treatment and finally took a stand. Rosa Parks refused to move from her seat and give it to a white bus rider and was arrested. Her arrest ignited a bus boycott lead by Martin Luther King and for 381 days African Americans carpooled, walked, or found other ways of transportation to get around town. Rosa’s dream was to see racial harmony and after taking a stand she made her dream come true. She is still significant to our society because it shows that one person and a simple action can make a change.…

    • 682 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Rosa Parks was one of those important woman that made a difference in the Civil Rights Movement. Rosa Parks was known as the “Mother of the Civil Rights Movement.” She was one of the leaders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was a civil rights organization formed in 1909 to advance justice for African-Americans. On December 1,1995 after she got off work Rosa got on a bus to go home.…

    • 1144 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Rosa Parks Research Paper

    • 965 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Rosa Parks was a black American who it has been said, started the black civil rights movement. Rosa Parks was fro Montgomery, and in Montgomery they had a local low that black people were only allowed to sit in a few seats on the public buses and if a white person wanted their set, they would have to give it up. On one bus journey Parks was asked to move for a white person, she refused and the police were call and she was arrested and convicted of breaking the bus laws.…

    • 965 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    She has been called “the first lady of civil rights” and “the mother of the freedom movement.” Parks grew up when the Jim Crow Laws were in effect. Everything was segregated including public bathrooms, water fountains, and city buses. Rosa Parks rode the bus for many years to and from work, but one day was more significant than any other day. She was asked to move in order for a white man to have a seat and she refused. Her refusal resulted in her being arrested and many African Americans boycotting the bus service. This boycott lasted for three-hundred and eighty-one days and resulted in the integrating of the…

    • 930 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A very inspirational civil rights activist once said, “I would like to be remembered as a person who wanted to be free ... so other people would be also free.” This civil rights activist is sometimes recognized as the "Mother of the U.S. civil rights movement" (Encyclopædia Britannica) . Her name was Rosa Parks. Rosa Parks is the most influential women in the last century. Parks was a seamstress, secretary of the Montgomery chapter of the Nation Association for the Advancement of Colored People, a teacher, and most important, a civil rights activist. Parks inspired many to stand up for what they believe in, to defend their rights, and to prevail through difficult circumstances. Parks overcame a rough childhood filled with segregation, she helped to start the civil rights movement, and also left a great legacy behind when she passed away.…

    • 924 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Rosa Parks

    • 895 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Rosa Louise McCauley Parks, many simply know of her as Rosa Parks, is one of the most amazing women in history. She achieved more things in her life than most people only dream about. Many people today look at Rosa as one of the greatest leaders of her time and she is still read about and talked about in schools all over the world. You are going learn a little about Rosa’s history and some of her biggest achievements. You will also learn about the characteristics that made Rosa Parks a leader and why I chose her to write about.…

    • 895 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Biography Of Rosa Parks

    • 587 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Rosa Louise McCauley Parks was born on February 4, 1913 in Tuskegee, Ala., and became an iconic symbol of the Civil Rights Movement in the 50s after she refused to give up her bus seat in Montgomery, Ala., to a white man.…

    • 587 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays