12/02/2019
Click Link https://amzn.to/2rJTFQO To Order or Review Rosa Parks: My Story
December o1, 1955 , Rosa Parks, “the first lady of Civil Rights,” was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama . This act of courage and defiance sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, one of the pivotal events in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement. In speaking about this historic moment, Parks said: “I was not tired physically, or no more tired than I usually was at the end of a working day. No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in."
This was not Parks' first, nor would it be her last, contribution to the Civil Rights Movement. In fact, she had been a member and the secretary of the Montgomery chapter of the NAACP for 12 years prior to the bus boycott. She also attended the Highlander Folk School, a social justice leadership training school, the summer before refusing to give up her bus seat.
Parks and her husband moved to Michigan shortly after the bus boycott as a result of losing their jobs. There, Parks was hired as receptionist for U.S. Representative John Conyers Detroit office, where she worked until she retired in 1988. She received many awards and accolades in her life, most notably the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal.
Parks, who was called “the mother of the freedom movement” by the United States Congress, died in October of 2005 and was given memorial services to reflect her heroic legacy in Detroit, Montgomery, and Washington, D.C. She was the first woman in history to lie in state in the capitol rotunda, as well as the first American who was not a government official and the second African American to do so.
Rosa Parks’ impact on American history is undeniable. As she put it, “Racism is still with us. But it is up to us to prepare our children for what they have to meet, and, hopefully, we shall overcome.”
To introduce your children to this inspirational hero of the Civil Rights Movement, there are several excellent books for young readers including "I Am Rosa Parks" for ages 4 to 8 (https://www.amightygirl.com/i-am-rosa-parks-1), her autobiography for ages 9 to 13, "Rosa Parks: My Story" (https://www.amightygirl.com/rosa-parks-my-story), and "Who Was Rosa Parks?" for ages 8 to 12 (https://www.amightygirl.com/who-was-rosa-parks)
There is also a new Inspiring Woman doll in honor of Rosa Parks for ages 6 and up at https://www.amightygirl.com/rosa-parks-doll
For adult readers who would like to deepen their understanding of Parks' life and impact, we highly recommend the fascinating biography "The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks" at http://amzn.to/2EFsGbm
For more books about courageous girls and women of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, check out our post on "40 Inspiring Books on Girls & Women of the Civil Rights Movement" at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=11177
And, for Mighty Girl stories for children and teens that explore racial discrimination and prejudice, visit http://amgrl.co/2wE6Jbl
