Rosa Parks

Imagine being treated like a second class citizen all your life having people call you names and step all over you. On December 1, 1955 Rosa Parks decided to take a bus home instead of walking from a long day of work, when she walked onto the bus there was one seat left in the white section so instead of standing she took the left over seat in the white section; later during the bus ride the driver noticed that there was a white man standing in the aisle, he ordered Rosa Parks to let the white man have her seat. "My feet hurt" ("Rosa Parks").   Rosa told the driver that she'd had a long day at work and refused to let the white man take her seat; Rosa was arrested and charged with disobeying segregation laws. Rosa's act quickly spread through the black community which started the thirteen month bus boycott, just because she refused to move for the white man, she became known as "the Mother of the civil rights movement." ("Rosa Parks").  

After being threatened and harassed Rosa and her husband moved to Detroit in 1957, in 1987 the Parks started the Institute of Self Development to provide leadership for underprivileged youth; until Parks was ninety she traveled around the nation speaking to audience of every race, age, and background. In September 1994 Rosa was beaten and robbed in her Detroit household. When the robber was caught she participated in the Million Man March. In 1998 Rosa Parks was recognized with the first International Freedom Conductor award given by the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. President Bill Clinton presented Rosa the Congressional Gold medal, the nation's highest civilian honor.

Rosa Parks is my hero because of how she taught people to stick up for what they believed in and showed that how if you start something that it can have a great outcome. "To this day I believe we are here on the planet Earth to live, grow up and do what we can to make this world a better place for all people that enjoy freedom." ("Rosa Parks")

Rosa Parks is a hero because of how humble she is "I am grateful that I have endured and lived to see this day. We have to continue our struggles against all obstacles." ("Rosa Parks").   Rosa doesn't act like she is special she just is like a normal citizen she stands up for what she believes in and doesn't care who gets in her way. When the driver told Rosa Parks to give her seat to the white man standing she didn't get mad but told him in a calm tone that she was tired and wasn't going to get up for the white passenger. Rosa Parks is a hero because she is determined "Have you ever been hurt and the place tries to heal a bit, and you just pull the scar off of it over and over again."("Rosa Parks").  This quote shows how Rosa was determined to change the world; she was tired of being treated not equal as a white person so she stood up in what she believed in. Rosa wasn't rude or anything she just wanted to get her point through to end segregation.

Rosa is my hero because she is dedicated "I would like to be remembered as a person who wanted to be free... so other people would be also free." Rosa wasn't just thinking about herself she wanted to change the world for future people so they didn't have to go through what she had to being treated like a second class citizen. Rosa Parks did not want to be a normal black person and let the white people step all over her she wanted to change the world. Rosa is a extraordinary person "Each person must live their life as a model for others." She stood against racism which would be even harder for a woman to stand up against segregation throughout the United States. Rosa had enough courage to step onto that bus tired and knowing that she would be forced to move but stood up for what she believed in.