Civil Rights Activist: Rosa Parks

Superior Essays
Standing up for what’s right can change society in many ways. A woman named Rosa Parks was a civil right’s activist who changed the world. Rosa Parks was born on February 4, 1913 in Tuskegee, Alabama. Her refusal to give in to racial discrimination propelled a world wide civil rights movement. Through most of her life she has battled against the authorities, causing a civil right’s movement. Although many may argue that Rosa Parks does not demonstrate good leadership qualities, a closer examination shows that she exhibits risk taking, selflessness, and determination.

Rosa Parks was an important civil rights leader because she was a risk taker. For instance, the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute says, “After finishing Miss White’s School, she
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In, “The Northern Promised Land that Wasn’t”: Rosa Parks and the Black Freedom Struggle in Detroit” by Jeanne Theoharis, the author explains, “So for nearly a decade, the family struggled. Raymond worked as a barber. Rosa took in piecework, then got a job sewing aprons and skirts ten hours a day at the Stockton Sewing Company. Paid seventy-five cents per piece, it was arduous, exhausting work” (Theoharis, 25). Even through tough times of poverty, Rosa never stopped trying. Rosa knew she had to work hard . Another example of Rosa Parks selflessness is, “Rosa left school to attend to her sick mother back in Pine Level.” Rosa Parks put others first and herself last. She is focused on helping others before herself. On the other hand, others believe she did not demonstrate selflessness throughout the movement. However, Rosa Parks was a selfless leader, according to Jeanne Theoharis, she explains, “Doing much of the daily constituent work for Conyers, Parks often focused on socio-economic issues including welfare, education, job discrimination, and affordable housing. She visited schools, hospitals, senior citizen facilities, and other community meetings and kept Conyers grounded in community concerns and activism” (Theoharis, 25). Although Rosa Parks did not , she did what most others could not do. She stood up to the authorities and worked on helping others with their issues for many years. Rosa puts others before herself and …show more content…
Jeanne Theoharis explains, “Having lived in the public memory with the racism of the Deep South, the fact that she spent more than half of her life in Detroit hardly penetrates public understanding of her” ( 24). She has spent most of her life trying to stop racial discrimination. Rosa is seen as an idol through public eyes because she is consistent and committed to her goals. Additionally, Rosa Parks was determined, Jeanne Theoharis puts into words, “Warmly welcomed by the Left-wing union activists of Local 600 and the National Negro Labor Council, Parks explicitly linked northern and southern struggles against racial injustice in this talk and other events around the city” (24). Rosa Parks has explained to the public of all the bad segregation exerts on society.She believes that change is needed. On the other hand, many people believe that Rosa Parks was not a determined leader because they believed that she was just doing it for the fame. Nevertheless, Rosa Parks was a great leader; within the article “Beyond the Bus: Rosa Parks’ Lifelong Struggle for Justice,” it was said, “ The branch [NAACP], under the leadership of Parks and E.D. Nixon, focused on voter registration, youth outreach, pursuing legal remedies for black victims of white brutality and sexual violence and defending the wrongly accused.” Rosa Parks strived for equal rights no matter the cost. Rosa wanted change so she took her chances supporting

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