Rosa parks for kids facts: Rosa Parks facts for kids

Rosa Parks facts for kids

Discover how this remarkable woman helped change the lives of millions of African Americans and the history of her country in our Rosa Parks facts…

All people should be treated equally, right? Regardless of where you come from, what religion you follow, where you work, what language you speak or whether you’re a boy or a girl. Well, sadly, this isn’t always the case, and many groups of people around the world still suffer as a result of prejudices and discrimination.

Thankfully, there are some amazing people who have done incredible things to fight for equality. One such person was a civil rights activist called Rosa Parks.

 

Rosa Parks facts

 

Who was Rosa Parks?

Full name: Rosa Louise McCauley Parks
Born: 4 February 1913
Hometown: Tuskegee, Alabama, USA
Occupation: Civil rights activist
Died: 24 October 2005
Best known for: The Montgomery Bus Boycott

Rosa was born in the town of Tuskegee in Alabama, a state in southern USA. Her mother was a teacher and her father a carpenter, and she had a little brother called Sylvester. After her parents separated when she was just a little girl, Rosa and Sylvester moved with their mother to Alabama’s capital city, Montgomery.

Rosa loved to learn and studied hard at high school. But, sadly, she had to leave school at 16 to care for her dying grandmother and, shortly after, her very sick mother. When she was 19 years old, Rosa married a barber called Raymond Parks, who encouraged her to return to high school to earn her diploma (an education certificate). And that’s just what she did, before beginning work as a seamstress in Montgomery.

 

Racial segregation

Life for African Americans like Rosa was hard. At the time, the Southern United States operated under the ‘Jim Crow laws’ – a set of laws introduced in the late 19th century that claimed to give African Americans “separate but equal” status and treatment. But, in truth, there was no ‘equality’ whatsoever.

Created by white authorities who thought black people’s lives didn’t matter as much as theirs, these laws enforced racial segregation and allowed for discrimination against African Americans – referred to at that time as “colored” people.

The Jim Crow laws were introduced in different ways from state to state, but there was one common goal – to make sure black citizens and white citizens led very separate lives.

Black children in the late 19th century and early 20th century had separate schools to white children.

Among other things, they had separate schools, churches, libraries, restaurants, toilets, drinking fountains and waiting rooms. In some areas, there were laws banning black people from sports events and even forbidding them to work in the same office as a white person.

African Americans had far fewer rights, too. Racist laws known as ‘Black Codes’ restricted them to low-paying jobs and made it incredibly difficult for them to vote. These laws also meant black people could be arrested for small things.

 

What did Rosa Parks do?

In the face of such racism, Rosa decided to make a stand for what was right. Together with her husband Raymond, she joined the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP), working towards putting an end to discrimination and segregation.

But it was on the 1 December 1955 that Rosa truly sparked change. After a long day at work, Rosa boarded the bus home and took a seat. At that time in Montgomery, seats at the front of buses were reserved for white passengers, and the seats at the back for black passengers.

The bus quickly filled up and when a white man boarded, the driver told the African American passengers to give up their seats for him. Whilst the other black passengers obeyed, Rosa did not. The result? Rosa was arrested by the police and fined for breaking segregation laws! But Rosa refused to pay, and argued that it was the law that was wrong, not her behaviour.

 

The Montgomery Bus Boycott 

On news of Rosa’s arrest, the black citizens of Montgomery came together and agreed to boycott the city’s buses in protest. This meant that from 5 December 1955 (the date of Rosa’s trial), African Americans refused to travel on buses. The boycott was managed by an organisation called the Montgomery Improvement Association, for which Dr Martin Luther King Jr was elected as leader.

The protest proved super effective, with more black people participating than had been expected.  And since African Americans made up around 70% of bus users, the city’s transport services made far less money and began to struggle. But it wasn’t an easy protest for the black citizens. Many of them didn’t own cars, and so they had to carpool together or walk long distances to get where they needed to go. What’s more, the boycott was received with anger by members of the white population, who responded with aggressive and dangerous acts of violence.

Nevertheless, the protesters stuck together and fought for their cause – and on 13 November 1956 their efforts were finally rewarded. After 381 days of boycotting the buses, the Supreme Court ruled that Alabama’s racial segregation laws were ‘unconstitutional’ – meaning they weren’t valid and should not be recognised. In light of such a wonderful victory, Rosa became known as “the mother of the civil rights movement”.

 

Rosa Parks’ legacy

Sadly, despite the victory, life wasn’t easy for Rosa and her fellow activists after the boycott. Faced with continued violence and threats by angry white groups, Rosa and Raymond moved to Detroit (a city in the northern US state of Michigan), to live with Rosa’s brother.

There she continued to promote civil rights and help those suffering from discrimination and injustice. She continued to support the NAACP and many civil rights events, and in 1987 she co-founded the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development to provide career training for young people in Detroit.

Rosa received numerous awards for her strength, courage and her incredible work for civil rights – including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1996 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 1999.

 

When did Rosa Parks die?

Rosa died of natural causes on 24 October 2005 at the age of 92. But she continues to be recognised all over the world as a symbol of freedom and equality. Today, commemorative statues stand (or ‘sit’ we should say!) in her honour, to remind us of her remarkable achievements that should never be forgotten.

 

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Rosa Parks biography for kids

Rosa Parks was one of the most influential African-American civil rights activists and has been named “the first lady of civil rights” and “the mother of the freedom movement”. On the 1st December 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus for a white passenger. Her actions led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a campaign against the segregation of black people.

She worked alongside Martin Luther King Jr in the campaign for equal rights for black African-Americans in the 1950s-60s.

Rosa Parks Day is an American holiday celebrated on the 4th February or 1st December in honour of her work as a civil rights leader.

  

 

Download this biography for kids

  

5 facts about Rosa Parks:

• She finished high school at a time when that was rare
• She was active in politics
• The bus driver who had her arrested in 1955 had given her trouble before
• She helped spark the civil rights movement
• She wasn’t first black woman who refuse to give up her seat

 

Quotes:

“I would like to be known as a person who is concerned about freedom and equality and justice and prosperity for all people. ”

“I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear.”

“Memories of our lives, of our works and our deeds will continue in others.”

 

Biography:

Rosa’s Childhood

Rosa Parks was born Rosa Louise McCauley in Tuskegee, Alabama, United States, on 4th February 1913. Her mother, Leona Edwards, was a teacher and her father, James McCauley, was a carpenter. She grew up on a farm just outside the city of Montgomery, Alabama.

After her parents separated, her mother took her and her younger brother Sylvester to live with their grandparents in Pine Level.

Her grandparents were both former slaves and strong believers in equal rights for black and white people.

Rosa was a small child who was often unwell, and she suffered from chronic tonsillitis.

Rosa had experienced the racial inequality in Alabama many times as a child.

In one experience, Rosa’s grandfather stood in front of their house with a shotgun to protect the family while Ku Klux Klan members marched down the street.

Rosa was taught to read by her mother at a young age and later went to a segregated, one-room school in Pine Level. Life was hard.

Unfortunately, Rosa had to leave school to look after both her sick grandmother and mother. She never returned to her studies; instead, she got a job at a shirt factory in Montgomery.

 

Rosa the civil rights activist

In 1932, aged 19, Rosa married Raymond Parks, a barber from Montgomery. He was a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Rosa joined this movement

In December 1943 where she served as a youth leader and worked as a secretary for the organisation’s President.

During this time, the “Jim Crow laws” demanded racial segregation in schools, public baths, shops and public transport.

This meant that blacks and whites were separated from each other, for example, on buses there were separate sections for blacks and whites. Black services and education were always under funded. The Montgomery City Code required that all public transportation be segregated.

When an African-American passenger boarded the bus, they had to get on at the front to pay for their ticket and then get off and re-board the bus at the back door.

When the bus was busy, the driver would move the sign for black passengers back to give more seats to white passengers. The Code did not state that anyone she have to give up their seat but it became common for the driver to order black passengers to stand so that white passengers could sit down.

On the 1st December 1955, Rosa was on the bus going home from work when the bus became full. When the driver asked her and three other black people to give up their seats for white passengers.

Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat, saying that she was “tired of giving in”.

The driver demanded, “Why don’t you stand up?” to which Rosa replied, “I don’t think I should have to stand up.” The driver then called the police who arrested her for violating the Montgomery City Code.

 

The Montgomery bus boycott

Rosa’s refusal lead to the Montgomery bus boycott in which the African-American community were asked to stay off city buses on the 5th December 1955, the day of Rosa’s trial, in protest of her arrest.

To oversee the boycott, the “Montgomery Improvement Association” was created and its members elected Martin Luther King, Jr, the great civil rights activist, as their leader.

Rosa was found guilty of violating the Montgomery City Code and was fined $10 and charged an extra $4 for court fees.

Despite being found guilty, the boycott continued for 381 days and one of the most successful anti segregation mass movements in history. The African-American community either walked to work and school or took black operated taxis. Many of the city buses were left empty and the company began to struggle financially.

In June 1956, the district court declared that the “Jim Crow laws” went against the American constitution and were therefore illegal.

 

The No. 2857 bus on which Parks was riding before her arrest

 

Later life

After the “Jim Crow laws” were abolished, Rosa and her husband found it very difficult to get work in Montgomery. They decided to move to Detroit, where Rosa worked as a secretary for a member of the U.S congress.

Rosa died of natural causes on the 24th October 2005 at the age of 92.Rosa’s legacy

Rosa was an important woman in history because her decision not to give up her seat led to the Montgomery bus boycott.

This boycott was a milestone on the path to the end of the segregation laws and equality for black people in America.

She was instrumental in the civil rights movement and worked alongside Martin Luther King Jr in the campaign for equal rights for black African-Americans in the 1950s-60.

Rosa Parks’ booking photo

 

She helped to improve the lives of many black African Americans by raising international awareness of the hardship they faced and will always be remembered for her brave protest that day.

In February 2013, President Barack Obama unveiled a statue honouring Rosa in the nation’s Capitol building. 

 

These are Meg and Sammi!

Meg Kid Activist thinks kids voices matter and with them they can achieve Anything! Sammi Junior Reporter writes about everything for the Branksea School News! 

 

Rosa Parks — biography, personal life, photo Gained popularity in 1955 when, during a bus trip, she refused, at the request of the driver, to give up her seat to a white passenger in the section of the bus for colored people.

When Rosa was arrested for insubordination, it caused a major outcry in society. As a result, black Americans began to boycott the city’s public transportation lines. The protests made her a symbol of resistance to racial segregation and brought national prominence to boycott leader Martin Luther King.

There are many interesting facts in the biography of Rosa Parks, which we will discuss in this article.

So, before you is a brief biography of Rosa Louise Parks.

Biography of Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks was born on February 4, 1913 in the US state of Alabama. She grew up and was brought up in the family of carpenter James McCaulay and his wife Leona Edwards, who worked as a teacher. She had a younger brother, Sylvester.

Childhood and youth

In childhood, Rosa’s biography did not differ in good health. In particular, she suffered from tonsillitis — a long-term inflammation of the pharyngeal and palatine tonsils. When she was about 5 years old, her parents decided to separate.

The girl witnessed the massive racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans that then flourished in the US. Black citizens were deprived of many rights, and were often beaten and killed.

In an interview, Parks admitted that her grandfather had a loaded gun in the house to protect himself from the Ku Klux Klan. She and her brother constantly heard insults from other children just because their skin color was dark. Once a girl wanted to throw a stone at one of the scoffers.

Rosa’s grandmother was very frightened for her granddaughter, because she could be killed for this. According to Parks, the desire to protect her brother from bullying soon grew into her desire to resist discrimination. During her school years, she, like other African-American children, was forced to walk to school, since the bus was intended only for white students.

In addition, schools for black students were significantly less staffed. After receiving her primary education, Rosa Parks studied at the Miss White School for Girls, where she mastered the profession of a dressmaker. In the future, she made a living by sewing.

Parks later attended the Negro College of Education but never graduated. This was due to the fact that she had to take care of her sick grandmother and mother. In her youth, she worked as a maid in white families.

Early Activism

At the age of 30, Rose became a secretary for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). It is curious that her work was not paid, since it was considered volunteer work. While holding this position, the girl documented a lot of incidents of violence and discrimination against African Americans.

During this period of her biography, Parks met a black woman, Recie Taylor, who was raped by six white guys. As a result, Rosa, along with other activists, managed to create an «Equal Justice Committee for Mrs. Recie Taylor.»

However, the rapists did not suffer any punishment, saying that Reisi was a girl of easy virtue, and she herself agreed to intimacy with them. In subsequent years of her biography, Rosa repeatedly became a witness to fabricated cases against blacks, as well as infringement of the rights of the colored population.

In the early 1940s, Parks unsuccessfully attempted to participate in local elections twice. Finally, in 1945, she was still allowed to vote, which was extremely rare among blacks in that era.

In 1948, Rose gave a poignant speech to the NAACP in which she attacked Harry Truman’s civil rights ideas. Curiously, she deliberately avoided segregated places. For example, do not drink from designated fountains, divided by race.

Bus incident and public reaction

Park gained a reputation as an anti-segregation activist when she refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger on December 1, 1955. It is worth noting that in those years, African Americans were supposed to sit in the back rows — in the «section for colored people.»

Moreover, due to lack of free space in the cabin, the driver could demand that black passengers give up their seat to a white person in the “colored section”. And although isolated cases of disobedience on the part of black Americans were already known before, they were not given much publicity.

When Rosa Parks was coming home from work, he got on the bus. After some time, a white man entered the salon, who could not find an empty seat. As a result, the driver told the African Americans to give him a seat.

Three dark-skinned men did not argue with the driver and moved to the back of the cabin. However, Rosa decided to continue sitting in her seat. According to her, by that time she could no longer endure endless humiliations and follow racist laws.

Parks is fingerprinted after being arrested.

The driver eventually called the police, who arrested Parks. The girl was issued an appropriate fine, which she decided to appeal in court. The woman’s tenacity amazed even her black compatriots. Her act inspired the Baptist preacher Martin Luther King, who organized a general boycott of public transport by black Americans.

Three days after the incident on the bus, the Montgomery Advertiser, a local newspaper for African Americans, printed a call for a boycott of all public transportation. At the same time, the same information was spread throughout the city through tens of thousands of leaflets.

Montgomery blacks supported the boycott by stopping buses and other transportation. They preferred to get to work on foot, or used the services of black drivers who gave them a ride for a nominal fee.

The protest, which lasted 381 days, caused serious losses to the city budget, because black citizens made up over 75% of the total number of public transport passengers. During the action, many black people were attacked and detained, while a bomb was even thrown into King’s house.

When Rosa was fired from the atelier, African Americans refused to use his services, wanting to support Parks. Finally, on November 13, 1956, the Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in bus service was a violation of the Constitution.

Later life

After the end of the boycott, Rosa and her husband settled in Virginia, as they could not find a job anywhere. During this period of her biography, she was often threatened with reprisal. The couple later moved to Detroit.

Until the end of her life, Parks continued to engage in political activities and the fight against racism. It is noteworthy that in Detroit, the Parks also found it very difficult to get a job, as a result of which they experienced serious financial difficulties.

Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr.

In 1964, the Civil Rights Act was passed to prohibit discrimination based on race. Then Martin Luther King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and Rose became a deaconess in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Parks later criticized US involvement in the Vietnam War. By the time of the biography, she worked as a secretary to Congressman John Conyers, whom she supported in the elections. The woman held this position for 23 years. Having gained immense popularity, Rosa fought against violence against blacks, and also created several foundations.

Personal life

When Rosa was 19 years old, she married a hairdresser, Raymond Parkes. It is noteworthy that her chosen one was part of the NAACP. No children were born in this marriage. The couple lived together until Raymond’s death at 19.77 from cancer of the larynx.

Rosa Parks was a devout Christian. Over the years of her biography, she has received a number of prestigious awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the US Congressional Gold Medal. She has received honorary doctorates from over 40 universities around the world.

Last years and death

In the last years of her biography, Parks suffered from dementia, which progressed more and more every year. Rosa Parks died on October 24, 2005 at the age of 92. About 50,000 people came to say goodbye to her. She was included in the Time 100: Heroes and idols of the 20th century.

Photo by Rosa Parks

Bus segregation. The «White» sign behind it is colored

The bus that Parks rode on. Now on display at the Henry Ford MuseumBill Clinton and Rosa Parks

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Interesting facts about roses — useful information for the gardener.

There is hardly a flower on the whole planet that could compare in beauty and splendor with a rose.
It was she who was sung by poets and artists in their works, it was she who was dedicated to the most fiery poems, she was idolized and compared with a divine creation. Love for this beautiful flower passes through centuries and generations. If you ask a few women which flower they prefer over all the others, most will say — «rose»! The one who will be presented with a bouquet of roses will never remain indifferent.

What is the secret and charm of a rose?
Consider the most interesting and unusual facts from the history of this flower.
1. It is interesting that the rose is the national flower in Iran, England and the USA.
2. One of the most expensive and valuable natural oils in the world is rose. There is evidence that it is valued even more than platinum and gold! This is not surprising, because the process of obtaining precious oil is laborious, painstaking and requires a huge amount of raw materials — to get just one kilogram of oil, you need as many as three tons of rose petals!
3. On what day are the highest number of roses sold in the world? — That’s right, on Valentine’s Day, or Valentine’s Day. The total number of roses sold on this holiday approaches three million.
4. Among the soothing, calming aromas that have a relaxing and calming effect, the aroma of a rose is in the first positions. It has been scientifically proven that a person who inhales the scent of a rose becomes more friendly and calm. Incense with the scent of a rose helps to uplift the mood.
5. William Shakespeare mentioned the rose more than 50 times in his works.
6. The smallest rose in the world is about the size of a grain of rice (Variety «C»).
7. Not everyone knows, but there is a berry in which the content of vitamin C exceeds the content of the same vitamin in lemons. This is rosehip, the fruit of a wild rose.
8. There is an amazing rose in the world called «Chameleon». Its petals are bright pink in the morning and white in the evening. This unique variety was bred in Japan.
9. In Germany, at the wall of the cathedral in Hildesheim, the oldest rose in the world grows. Her age is about a thousand years and her shoots reach the roof of the building. The war damaged the unique plant, but thanks to the preserved root, it again sprouted.
10. Rose came to Russia around the 16th century. It began to be actively grown under Peter l, and the use of roses in decorating gardens and parks reached its greatest «flourishing» during the reign of Catherine II.
11. The rose was one of three flowers that were mentioned in the Bible. According to legend, a rose without thorns grew in the Garden of Eden, as a symbol of pure love at first sight. After the fall of Adam and Eve and the expulsion from paradise, thorns grew on the rose.
12. The rose, which we affectionately call the «queen» of flowers, was the «king» of the ancient Greeks.
13. Among the roses there is even an astronaut flower — in 2002, a rose called «Night fragrance» traveled into space.
14. France confidently leads in terms of the number of roses sold — per 1 person per year, an average of 10 roses are sold.
15. The rose was considered a symbol of courage, during the entry into Rome, the commander Spiceon the African allowed the soldiers to carry bouquets of roses in their hands.
16. The ancient Greeks considered the rose as a symbol of the transience of life, the eternity of beauty, a mention of the fact that it passes quickly. The shape of the rosebud was a symbol of infinity.
Interpretation of the color of roses
According to established traditions, a white rose is a symbol of chastity and purity, yellow is a symbol of apology for treason, orange and scarlet are a symbol of passionate passion, pink is a symbol of trust and intimacy.