Rosa Parks, although known and celebrated for one particular incident, led a life of boldness and tenacity, which was rare for her gender and generation. On that day in 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus, when the bus driver said, “I’m going to have you arrested,” Parks simply answered, “You may do that” (Rosa Parks). “You may do that,” a short, but powerful, reply and a summary of Parks view on racial justice. Although it is easy to remember a person based on one particular moment in their life, Rosa Parks lived a life worth remembering. Parks childhood and family influenced her beliefs on racial equality and led to two decades of political activism prior to the famous bus act. Parks foundation and experience aided in
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She lost her job, Raymond got fired from his job, and she got many death threats. As a result the Parks and Rosa’s mother moved to Detroit, Michigan near Rosa’s brother Slyvester. Here Rosa built a new life, she became secretary and receptionists to U.S. Representative John Conyer’s congregational office. She also served on the board of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. She gave and wrote speeches the rest of her life and was still an active NAACP member. Rosa Parks received many accolades during her lifetime, including the Spingarn Medal, the NAACP's highest award, and the prestigious Martin Luther King Jr. Award. On September 9, 1996, President Bill Clinton awarded Parks the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor given by the United States' executive branch. The following year, she was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest award given by the U.S. legislative branch, ( ). In 1999, TIME magazine named Rosa Parks on its list of "The 20 Most Influential People of the 20th Century" ( ). Rosa died October 25, 2005, at the age of 92 and became the first woman and second African-American to lie in honor in the Capitol rotunda.
Rosa Parks worked for most of her adult life to challenge racial injustice, her life was so much more than one day on a bus. When her courageous stand galvanized a mass movement, she did what she could to sustain it. “You may do that,” this was not only Rosa’s simple statement, but a powerful testament to her life. It summarizes the goals that she fought for, and the decades she spent doing it. Rosa once gave advice to Spelman College students: “Don’t give up and don’t say the movement is dead.” (
She lost her job, Raymond got fired from his job, and she got many death threats. As a result the Parks and Rosa’s mother moved to Detroit, Michigan near Rosa’s brother Slyvester. Here Rosa built a new life, she became secretary and receptionists to U.S. Representative John Conyer’s congregational office. She also served on the board of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. She gave and wrote speeches the rest of her life and was still an active NAACP member. Rosa Parks received many accolades during her lifetime, including the Spingarn Medal, the NAACP's highest award, and the prestigious Martin Luther King Jr. Award. On September 9, 1996, President Bill Clinton awarded Parks the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor given by the United States' executive branch. The following year, she was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest award given by the U.S. legislative branch, ( ). In 1999, TIME magazine named Rosa Parks on its list of "The 20 Most Influential People of the 20th Century" ( ). Rosa died October 25, 2005, at the age of 92 and became the first woman and second African-American to lie in honor in the Capitol rotunda.
Rosa Parks worked for most of her adult life to challenge racial injustice, her life was so much more than one day on a bus. When her courageous stand galvanized a mass movement, she did what she could to sustain it. “You may do that,” this was not only Rosa’s simple statement, but a powerful testament to her life. It summarizes the goals that she fought for, and the decades she spent doing it. Rosa once gave advice to Spelman College students: “Don’t give up and don’t say the movement is dead.” (