My Name Is Rosa Parks

    My name is Rosa Louise Parks. I was born on February 4, 1913, in Tuskegee, Alabama. I grew up during a time when Black Americans were not treated equally because of the color of their skin. Laws and unfair rules separated Black and white people in many parts of everyday life.

    As I grew older, I knew that this was not right. I wanted to be treated with the same respect and dignity as everyone else. Years later, one decision I made on a Montgomery city bus would become an important part of the Civil Rights Movement.

    As you read my story, I want you to learn about more than just one bus ride. My story is about courage, determination, and standing up for what you believe is right, even when doing so is difficult.

Young Rosa Parks, ca. 1930–1940. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, Rosa  /Parks Papers.

Growing Up in Alabama

    I was born on February 4, 1913, in Tuskegee, Alabama. When I was very young, my parents separated. My mother, Leona, took my younger brother, Sylvester, and me to live with my grandparents, Sylvester and Rose Edwards, on their farm in Pine Level, Alabama. Life on the farm kept us busy. I helped with chores and learned how to cook and sew.

    Growing up in Alabama, I learned very early that life was not equal for everyone. Jim Crow laws separated Black and white people in schools, transportation, and many other parts of everyday life. I saw people being treated differently simply because of the color of their skin.

    My grandfather taught me that I should never accept being mistreated. His strength stayed with me as I grew older. Even as a young girl, I was beginning to understand that sometimes doing what is right means having the courage to stand up for yourself.

Rosa Parks’s childhood home in Alabama, ca. 1916. Library of Congress. 

Learning About Segregation

    As I grew older, I began to understand how unfair segregation was. Black children and white children went to different schools and were not always given the same opportunities.

    I worked hard in school and learned to believe in myself. Growing up around segregation helped shape my understanding of fairness and the kind of person I wanted to become.

Rosa and Raymond Parks at an NAACP meeting, ca. 1947. Library of Congress.

Finding My Voice

    As I became an adult, I wanted to do more than notice unfairness—I wanted to help change it. In 1932, I married Raymond Parks, who also believed in fighting for equal rights. 

    In 1943, I joined the Montgomery NAACP and became its secretary. I began helping with cases involving discrimination and unfair treatment. This work taught me that change takes courage, patience, and people willing to speak up.

Rosa and Raymond Parks at an NAACP meeting, ca. 1947. Library  Congress.

The Bus Ride That Changed Everything

    On December 1, 1955, I finished work and boarded a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. I sat in the first row behind the seats reserved for white passengers.

    As the bus filled up, the driver told me to give up my seat. I refused. I knew the way Black passengers were being treated was unfair, and that day, I decided I would not move.

Diagram showing where Rosa Parks was seated on December 1, 1955. National Archives. 

I was arrested!

    The bus driver called the police, and two officers came onto the bus. I was arrested and taken to the police station, where I was fingerprinted and charged for refusing to obey the bus driver.

    I knew standing my ground could have serious consequences, but I also knew that they way black people were being treated was unfair.

This is bus #2857, the Montgomery city bus where Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on December 1, 1955.

Small Source Creidt 

Photo courtesy of The Henry Ford Museum.

The Montgomery Bus Boycott

    After my arrest, people in Montgomery came together to protest the unfair bus laws. Instead of riding the buses, many Black citizens walked, shared rides, or took taxis.

    What began as a one-day protest continued for 381 days. I was proud to see so many people stand together and peacefully demand change.