Rosa Parks

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Have you ever wondered why you can sit wherever you want on the bus? I do.  It's because of Rosa Parks. Rosa Parks was a Civil Rights Activist. She was determined to end segregation. She was the woman who was sitting at the front of the bus and didn't give up her seat to a white man.

Rosa parks was born on February 4,1913 in Tuskegee, Alabama. Her parents names were James and Leona McCauley.  Her father, James, was a carpenter and her mother, Leona was a teacher.  As a young girl, Rosa worked as a field hand, tended to household chores, and cared for her sick grandparents. Her mother spent much of her time teaching. Soon, her mother decided that Rosa should go to a nine-month school in Alabama.Then, Rosa enrolled for Montgomery Industrial School for Girls. Rosa was in charge of doing chores and work outside the house.  By the time she was eleven, Rosa's childhood seemed far behind. She cleaned two classrooms at her school in exchange for free tuition. After graduation, she enrolled in Booker T. Washington High School. Then her mother became sick so Rosa had no choice but to drop out of school to take care of her mother. Soon after she married Raymond Parks.  Raymond was a barber.

On December 1, 1955 on Rosa's way home home from work, she boarded a Montgomery City bus.  The seats were full then the bus driver forced Rosa to give up her seat to a white man but Rosa refused to give up her seat.  Then she refused to get up out of the seat. Then she was found guilty of violating the segregation laws so she was arrested.

On December 5,1955 Martin Luther King Jr. started the Montgomery Bus Boycott.  It lasted for 381 days. Ever since the boycott all black people started walking and car pooling.  Since all blacks started walking, bus drivers didn't make money. So the rules started to change. Black people could start sitting wherever they wanted, the bus drivers had to be respectful to passengers, and black people could enroll for the job of being a bus driver also.

On October 24, 2005 Rosa Parks died at 92 years old.  There were so many memorial services supporting her funeral and about 50,000 people were viewing her casket.  On December 21, 1956 the Montgomery Buses integrated.  Rosa Parks is the reason we can sit wherever we want on the bus.  Thank You Rosa Parks!!!!!

Rosa Parks is my hero because she didn't give up her to a white man and that shows bravery and courage.