DETROIT — Rosa Parks, whose refusal to give up her bus seat to a white man sparked the modern civil rights movement, died Monday evening. She was 92.
Mrs. Parks died at her home during the evening of natural causes, with close friends by her side, said Gregory Reed, an attorney who represented her for the past 15 years.
Mrs. Parks was 42 when she committed an act of defiance in 1955 that was to change the course of American history and earn her the title “mother of the civil rights movement.”
At that time, Jim Crow laws in place since the post-Civil War Reconstruction required separation of the races in buses, restaurants and public accommodations throughout the South, while legally sanctioned racial discrimination kept blacks out of many jobs and neighborhoods in the North.
The Montgomery, Ala., seamstress, an active member of the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (search), was riding on a city bus Dec. 1, 1955, when a white man demanded her seat.
Mrs. Parks refused, despite rules requiring blacks to yield their seats to whites. Two black Montgomery women had been arrested earlier that year on the same charge, but Mrs. Parks was jailed. She also was fined $14.
God bless you, Mrs. Parks.
La Shawn Barber writes a nice piece about Mrs. Parks, and includes a link roundup of other bloggers who are discussing the life of the lady who is considered the mother of the civil rights movement.
I have so much respect for Rosa Park’s actions on Dec 1st 1955.
Comment by Baklava @ 10/25/2005 - 9:46 pm
RIP ….Rosa Parks
I’m gonna catch some heat for this but….
Rosa Parks The “Mother” of the Civil Rights Movement past away at the age of 92. My question to ya’ll is was she really the “Mother Of the Civil Rights Movement” or Simply a pawn used by Martin Luther King. now dont get me wrong it took alot of Courage for Mrs Parks to do what she did but for to be considered the Mother of something is to me a dis-service to the other participants in the movement for civil rights. Many many african americans participated in sit-ins and demostrations prior to Rosa parks and was jailed for there actions but Martin used her particular demostration to spark the Montgomery Bus Boycott…
Now my question is how much attention would have been giving to Rosa Parks if she was not infact a secretary for the NAACP. Now lets have real talk … Rosa Parks was simply a foot soilder a very important foot soilder but it seems that all we as “african-americans” talk about Martin L. King and Rosa Parks.. What about the many other memebers of The Montgomery Improvement Association. Why aren’t they taught or spoke about in schools and on the news how many of those other Generals, Captins & Lieutenants past away and are not even mentioned? so I will mention them now:
Jo Ann Robinson President of the Women’s Polical Council (WPC) of Montgomery. Who met with Martin Luther King to Plan the bus boycott
her bio: LINK
Reverand Ralph Abernathy Was Dr. Kings Right hand man during the Montgomery Bus Boycott Organized the Boycott
his bio: LINK
These are just two people that i’m sure Many of you have’nt even heard about. Not to Mention The Hon. Marcus Garvey the father of Black Nationalism Who with out him there would have been no Martin or Malcom.
His bio: LINK
And to all these “So-called Civil Rights Leaders of today” The Rev. AL and Jessie Jackson. If you trully want to honor Rosa Parks Legacy and her contribution instead of calling for a “national day of Mourning”, I would like one of our “leaders” to talk about the many people who organized the boycott. the who kept it a float by garnering support such as money, shoes, etc. those who were instrumental in bringing national attention to movement. Instead of looking for camara time to endorse the next political agenda …I’m out peace - Didda
Comment by Jayson Butler @ 10/27/2005 - 5:25 pm