STORIES
Peacemakers
DONATE

Rosa Parks

by Titilayo from Shelter Bay

Rosa Parks was an amazing person. She is kind, brave and respectful. She was born on February 4, 1913 in Tuskegee, Alabama. She lived with her mom, grandparents and her little brother Sylvester. In 1924, Rosa moved to Montgomery, Alabama to go to school. She married Raymond Parks in 1932.

Rosa Parks faced hard times when she was growing up. Rosa decided to take action. She started gathering black people to hear her speeches. She decided black people should be treated the same way as white people. With help from her husband and also from Martin Luther King, Jr., there started to be a change.

One day, as Rosa was taking the bus, as usual, she was expected to sit in the back. Rosa was brave and stood up to the bus driver and explained that is was her right and the right of other black Americans to sit at the front of the bus. After she finished, the bus driver called the police. Rosa Parks was sent to jail. She stayed in her cell overnight. She then took part in a boycott that lasted 382 days. Other black people joined in.

In 1997, Raymond Parks died and Rosa was heart broken. However, she still she continued to fight for other black people. On October 24, 2004, Rosa Parks died. After a hard life, she was happy at the end because black people now had the same rights as white people.

Rosa Parks (www.africawithin.com)
Rosa Parks (www.africawithin.com)

Rosa Parks is my hero because she is kind, brave and smart. She fought against racism. She behaved like a hero when she stood up for herself and other black Americans. She went to jail and served a punishment she did not deserve. Even though times she struggled, she respected herself, others , and the environment. Rosa was treated wrong and fought for her rights. Rosa is recognized as the best black American. Without her, there would be no jobs for black people. No doctors, no teachers or accounts. Rosa inspires me to fight for my right as a black Canadian.

Page created on 5/7/2008 12:00:00 AM

Last edited 5/7/2008 12:00:00 AM

The beliefs, viewpoints and opinions expressed in this hero submission on the website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs, viewpoints and opinions of The MY HERO Project and its staff.