Rosa Parks Presented by: Andrew Carter

Rosa Parks as a Young Girl Rosa was born in Tuskegee, Alabama in 1913. As a girl, Rosa walked to school while white children in her town rode the school bus.

Rosa Parks as an Adult Rosa worked for a white couple as a housekeeper and a seamstress. While working for them, she attended the Highlander Folk School in Tennessee for people interested in activism and civil rights.

Secretary of NAACP During this time, she was also a secretary for the local chapter of the NAACP. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and E.D. Nixon were also a part of this chapter.

The Refusal On December 1, 1955, after Rosa finished work, she got on the bus to ride home. When the bus became full, Rosa refused to give up her seat to a white person in the colored section of the bus. She said she was tired of giving in. Then she was arrested for not giving up her seat.

The Montgomery Bus Boycott As a result of her arrest, the Montgomery Bus Boycott began on December 5, 1955 and lasted for 381 days causing the Montgomery Bus Line to lose a lot of money.

Bus Boycott Ends The bus boycott ended in 1956 when Montgomery passed a city ordinance that buses would no longer be segregated.

Rosa Starts Again After Rosa’s arrest, she lost her job and had trouble finding another job. She and her husband finally moved to Detroit, Michigan. Rosa began working for U.S. Representative John Conyers in Detroit. She worked for him from 1965-1988.

Rosa wrote her autobiography in 1992, Rosa Parks: My Story. Let’s Write a Book Rosa wrote her autobiography in 1992, Rosa Parks: My Story.

Rosa Gets Recognized Rosa was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton in 1996.

Rosa Parks Passed Away When she died in 2005, a memorial service was held for her in Montgomery, Alabama. Another famous Alabamian, Condoleezza Rice said if it had not been for Rosa, she may have never been the United States Secretary of State.

Rosa Lies in State Rosa’s casket was taken to Washington, D. C. The casket was placed in the rotunda of the United States Capitol. She was the first woman and second black person to have this honor.

Rosa is Remembered Rosa was buried in Detroit. She will always be remembered as “The First Lady of Civil Rights”.