Who Was Rosa Parks?

On December 1, we honor Rosa Parks. But who was Rosa Parks? Why is she important?

Rosa Parks lived in Montgomery, Alabama. African Americans there were segregated. That means they were separate from White people. African Americans had to sit on the back of public buses. This was the law.

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On December 1, we honor Rosa Parks. But who was Rosa Parks? Why is she important?

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks got on a city bus. She sat in the middle. The bus filled up. The driver told Parks to move. A White person wanted her seat. Parks would not move. The driver called the police. The police arrested Parks.

Photo Credit: World History Archive/Alamy Stock Photo

On December 1, we honor Rosa Parks. But who was Rosa Parks? Why is she important?

African
Americans in Montgomery did not take the bus for a year. The city lost money.
In 1956, the Supreme Court decided that African Americans and White people had
to share the bus. This photo shows Parks on the bus riding in the front.

What Do You Think? Why do you think that laws separated White and African American passengers? How did Rosa Parks help change the laws?

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