Biography of Rosa Parks

Rosa Louise McCauley Parks, born in Tuskegee, Alabama, grew into a quiet woman of extraordinary strength. A skilled seamstress and lifelong NAACP member, she refused to surrender her bus seat to a white passenger on December 1, 1955, in Montgomery. That single act of dignity sparked the 381-day Montgomery bus boycott and lit the flame of the modern civil rights movement. Often called the “mother of the freedom movement,” Rosa continued advocating for justice, voting rights, and youth empowerment throughout her life. She received the Congressional Gold Medal and inspired millions worldwide. Rosa passed peacefully on October 24, 2005, but her gentle courage still reminds us that one person’s refusal to accept injustice can change history.