American Civil Rights Movement: Rosa Parks

She was the girl that changed everyone’s thoughts about the American Civil Rights movement. She was the girl that stepped on the bus and refused to give up her spot. She lost her job and violated the segregation law. Yet, she was the girl that was awarded the 1999 congressional gold medal. (“Rosa Parks”). Her name was Rosa Parks. She was known by many for her brave acts of preventing segregation and never giving up. “The only tired I was, was tired of giving in.” ,said Rosa Parks, one of her most famous quotes. (Crowther). Rosa Parks was born in the town of Tuskegee, Alabama on February 4, 1913. Rosa was a child of two, her younger brother was named Sylvester. Later on in her life, her family moved to Pine Level, Alabama. Her life has always been tough with her parents being separated. Yet her family valued education, she dropped out in eleventh grade to care for her sick grandma and mother. Life was also hard because of segregation, having to attend black schools, drinking foundations, and even certain libraries. (“Rosa Parks”). But on December 1, 1955, her life and the world had changed. She denied the demands of a …show more content…
She even had to move to Detroit because of the harassment she was getting once she was released from jail. She worked on helping poverty and even stopping discrimination in the voting systems and rights which was the 1965 voting rights act. (Jackson). She even started to work closely with President Nixon in 1943. (“Rosa Parks”). From all of her success, she was awarded many medals and honors. She was the 1st African American to have a body size, statue at the Capitol’s National Statuary Hall, along with presidents and military leaders. The U.S. postal service has even honored her with a stamp of the 100th year anniversary and she was also honored with the congressional medal of freedom. Rosa Parks even has a section in the Henry Ford Museum, where stands the bus that started it all.