Rosa Parks

2 Pages 491 Words

Rosa Parks was born in Tuskegge, Alabama on

February 4,1913. Two years later in 1915 Rosa

moved to Pine Level, Alabama with her family.

They lived in Rosa’s grandparents farm where there

were cows, chickens, fruit, and nut trees. Also that

year Rosa’s brother was born, Sylvester. Her

mother Leona was a school-teacher. Her father,

James McAllen was a carpenter and a house

builder. He frequently moved around to find work.

While Rosa was growing up she hardly saw him.


During Rosa’s childhood discrimination against

African Americans was strong. Black and white people

was segregated. They were kept apart on streetcars,

trains, parks, drinking fountains, churches, hotels,

theaters, and restaurants. Even the US military was

segregated. Basically in all public places blacks were

judged by the color of their skin not by their character.

The whites had the most advantages.

One evening on December first of 1955 Rosa was

sitting in the front of the colored section of a

Montgomery bus, and the white section was filled, so

by law Rosa had to give up her seat to a white man. But

she didn’t move. The driver of the bus, James Blake

said to Rosa, “Let them have those front seats.” She

didn’t get up. She was tired of giving in to white

people. “I’m going to have you arrested,” he told her.

“You may do that,” Rosa answered. Then two white

policemen came to arrest her. She asked one of the

officers, “Why do you all push us around?” He

answered, “I don’t know, but the law is the law and

your under arrest.” She was found guilty in court.

After this very important event of Rosa’s life,

African Americans in Montgomery refuse to ride on

public buses. They found other ways to get to where

they had to go. Many walked as far as twelve miles.

The bus boycott was led by Dr. Martin Luther Kin...