Rosa Parks was a very inspirational woman. In the biography, Rosa Parks: Civil Rights Leader,you can learn quite a bit about her. Written by Mary Hull, this book is 105 pages of great courage and strength, and is shown with great detail. It takes you back to the times of segregation and unnecessary hardships for the black people. The book’s copyright is 1994 by Chelsea House Publishers. Rosa Parks was born on February 4, 1913, in Tuskegee, Alabama. Even as a child, she had a rough life. She had to help her mother and grandparents every day with their daily chores on the plantation; taking on jobs no ordinary girl would. She received a high school diploma at age 20 and became a seamstress. On December 1, 1955, Rosa decided to take the bus home for work, and as expected, she chose a seat in the “black section.” However, soon after, the bus was full, and she was asked to give up her seat for a white passenger. She refused and was quickly arrested. For this, Rosa was incredibly brave and courageous. She was also a very respected woman for standing up for what she believed. Like many black people of the time, Rosa faced several difficulties. She was treated very poorly and even dealt with death threats occasionally. Rosa believed and was taught that everyone was equal, and she was determined to make it so. After her “bus incident,” many of her own friends and race began scorn and look down upon her. She, as well as the other black people, were denied the right to vote, attend the same schools, or even drink from the same water fountains. While she was young, she knew she had to have an education, so she did what she could to receive her diploma. With this education, she became involved in the NAACP, an organization created to fight for equal rights. They fought the judicial system, but often lost. One of her major defeats was the Scottsboro boys’ trial. They worked for years trying to fight this case of 9 innocent black boys who were sentenced to death after being accused of rape. The organization was greatly affected by this defeat, and set off to make things right. Rosa Parks became an important symbol of the modern Civil Rights movement, and an international icon of resistance to racial segregation. Just by simply disregarding her bus driver’s orders, she started the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1939, which eventually led tomuch greater things. A United States Supreme Court ruling against segregation was issued. However, as a result, Rosa lost her job, and was constantly ridiculed for what she’d done. But it didn’t matter to her as she had aided in the end of segregation forever. This soon led to Martin Luther King’s rise to power. Rosa and her immediate family were pretty close, as it was easier to face troubles together. Her father, though, left her and her family when she was very little, and she hadn’t seen him since. Her younger brother, Sylvester, and her cousin Annie Mae, were inseparable. They didn’t need any help though, as they often tended to win their own battles themselves. In 1931, a friend introduced her to Raymond Parks. She didn’t know it at the time, but he would change her life forever. Two years later, they were married and soon she was introduced to the NAACP. Without the help and support of her friends and family, she wouldn’t have made it as far as she did. From the very beginning, Rosa was a very young and determined woman. She was never afraid to do what she thought was right. Some of the things she did caused a lot of pain for herself, but it didn’t matter to her. She knew that in order to end segregation, something had to be done. For this, and several other reasons, I think Rosa is a very admirable person. If people were more like her today, the world could be a much better place. This book was a very good biography, as it gave a very good description of Rosa’s life. If you are interested in Rosa Parks, or segregation at all, then be sure to read Rosa Parks: Civil Rights Leader. It went through all of her achievements, as well as her struggles. The only problem I had with the book was that it went over the politics a little too much. Otherwise, overall the book was pretty good and I learned quite a bit about a very important person.
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