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December 1st is Rosa Parks Day #RosaParksDay. I remember when Charlie was in Elementary School we had to do a project on Rosa Parks. Since then Charlie has been obsessed with #RosaParks and enjoys learning about her.
For Christmas and Charlie’s #Birthday I plan on purchasing these books Rosa Parks: My Story and Who Was Rosa Parks?: Who Was…? for Charlie and I to read. If your #Homeschooling your student you might want to check out the book and this Lesson Plan Rosa Parks lesson plan with free printable bus book. Here is a craft you can do as well
Rosa Parks Day is celebrated in the U.S. on December 1st to honor Rosa Parks, the brave Civil Rights Activist. Rosa Parks contributions have been most impactful to the movement, but her most famous incident is her refusal to give up her seat on a bus she was commuting on.
Rosa Parks headstrong persona is an inspiration to all, and Rosa Parks Day promotes Civil Rights, and Equal Rights and opportunities for all communities across the Country. Rosa Parks Day is marked by events and activities arranged by organizations, government leaders, and Church figures.
Rosa Parks Day celebrates the achievements of the fierce African-American activist known as “The Mother of the Civil Rights Movement.” Rosa Parks Day is celebrated on December 1st but is also observed on February 4th in some regions.
The former date was set by the Legislature of the State of California on the day Rosa Parks refused to move to the back of the bus, and it is also recognized in Missouri. The latter date is the icon’s birthday, declared Rosa Parks Day by Ohio and Oregon.
A legend of the Civil Rights movement, Parks’ refusal to give up her bus seat in 1955 ignited a long boycott that lasted for 381 days, leading to the desegregation of transportation in Montgomery, Alabama.
The incident took place on December 1st, 1955. While traveling on a Montgomery City bus, Parks was told by the bus driver to vacate her seat for a white man. It was common at the time for such requests to be made. Defying this practice, Parks refused to give up her seat.
Rosa Parks was arrested for this and charged with violation of the laws of racial segregation, or the ‘Jim Crow’ laws. Parks countered by challenging the conviction, which led many Civil Rights Activists, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, to boycott the Montgomery transport system.
After 381 days of the boycott, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in December 1956 that the segregation law was not aligned with the constitution. The boycott and its successful outcome triggered other Civil Rights protests over the years. Parks became the face of the battle against inequality. The bus in which Rosa Parks was sitting has been restored and is currently displayed in the Henry Ford Museum.
How to Observe Rosa Parks Day
- Even before the famous bus incident, Rosa Parks had done a ton of activist work, and her achievements are worth reading. Read her autobiography “Rosa Parks: My Story.”
- Rosa Parks’ story is inspirational and important today more than ever. Talk with your friends, and share quotes, posts, and pictures of Rosa Parks on Social Media to keep her memory alive.
- The Civil Rights Movement has many unsung heroes that don’t get the recognition they deserve. Do some research about the struggle and the contributions of other different figures to the fight for rights.
Facts About The Rosa Parks Bus Incident
- Rosa Parks was not the first African-American woman to be arrested for not giving up her seat on a Montgomery bus.
- Rosa Parks had encountered the bus driver James Blake before the incident.
- Rosa Parks wasn’t sitting in a whites-only section but Rosa Parks was seated in a section that was open to African Americans if vacant.
- In her autobiography, Parks dispelled the notion that she refused to get up from her seat because she was exhausted after work.
- Weeks after her initial arrest, Rosa Parks was jailed for a second time for participating in the boycott.
Why Rosa Parks Day is Important
We love celebrating women and that’s why we think Rosa Parks Day is important
Rosa Parks is well-known but still an almost unsung hero of the Civil Rights movement. Rosa Parks Day celebrates her contributions and also brings other such heroes into the spotlight.
The Rosa Parks story is powerful and topical today more than ever unfortunately, we still don’t live in a utopian world, and the fight for equal rights is still on.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
