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Rosa Parks

by Lucie from Laguna Beach

 (Lucie )
(Lucie )


My Hero Rosa Parks

By Lucie  

Rosa Parks was born February 4, 1913 in Tuskegee, Alabama. She grew up with her grandparents who were former slaves and at an early age she learned that all races should be treated equally.  She was born Rosa Louise McCauley but her last name changed to Parks when she married Raymond Parks who was a barber. She attended college for a little bit but had to drop out and care for her grandmother who was very sick. She and her husband were members of the NAACP which was the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and she worked as vice secretary to the president there. Rosa Parks had a job as a seamstress.

Blacks were treated more poorly than whites at that time in America. Blacks and whites had different rights.  They did not get equal treatment. For example, on the bus the rules were different for blacks and whites than today. Blacks were not allowed to sit in the front. They had to sit in the back of the bus. There were two sections, black and white. They were divided.

Rosa Parks had to ride the bus to get to work. One day, December 1, 1955 when she was sitting in the front on her way home the bus driver got up and went to her seat and told her that she had to move for these white people who were entering. They told her and three black men. The men got up and moved but Rosa refused to leave. She was arrested for what she had done and sent to jail. After she got out of jail she and a large group of other black people decided to boycott the busses unless they were allowed to sit anywhere in the bus. So they did boycott. From that day forward they carpooled, rode in cabs, and walked to work for a year. There was so much violence and bombings in America at the time. On November 13, 1956 the United States Supreme Court made the decision that they weren't allowed to treat different people badly. They could not treat black or white people differently. The bus drivers had to be respectful to any rider and allow them sit anywhere in the bus. Rosa Parks was rewarded many medals and prizes for her accomplishments. She passed away on October 24, 2005.

Finally I chose Rosa Parks as my hero because she was inspiring and never gave up so quickly. She did her best with anything that stood in her way. She was amazing. She wasn't the first person who refused to move on the bus but she was still inspirational even though she was treated badly. I hope that I could be inspiring as she was. If I was ever mistreated, I hope to be brave and stand up for anything I believe in.

 

Page created on 3/4/2012 12:00:00 AM

Last edited 3/4/2012 12:00:00 AM

The beliefs, viewpoints and opinions expressed in this hero submission on the website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs, viewpoints and opinions of The MY HERO Project and its staff.