7 Rosa Parks Facts for Kids

Rosa Parks was an important person in the civil rights movement in the United States. She was the first to take a stand against racism, but her refusal to give up a seat on the bus led to an awakening of passion within the minority communities to find equality. Her choice inspired many others to say no to racism and by knowing these facts, you can make sure that the mistakes of the past aren’t repeated.

1. She Grew Up In Alabama

Rosa Parks was born in 1913. Her father was a carpenter her mother was a teacher. When her parents separated, she and her brother lives with her mother and they moved their grandparents farm in a town called Pine Level. That’s were she went to school too.

2. She Left School To Take Care Of Her Mom

For minority women in that era, it was very difficult to get any advanced education, like a high school diploma. Rosa’s mom very much wanted her to achieve great things in school. Rosa decided to leave school, however, when her mom grew ill. She would eventually achieve her mother’s dream for her education after getting married.

3. She Fought For Equal Rights

It wasn’t just on the bus that Rosa Parks to stand against racism. The Freedom Train came to Montgomery, Alabama, where she lived after getting married and this train had no segregation. Rosa decided to take a group of students to see it and they stood in line with all of the other white students who want to see it too. At this time, Montgomery was completely segregated and many people didn’t like this choice.

4. She Was Told To Pay A Fine

After she refused to give up her seat, law enforcement officials charged her with breaking segregation laws and told her to pay a fine of $10.

5. She Almost Didn’t Get On The Bus

Rosa knew the bus driver that told her to move out of her seat very well. Before that night when her active defiance became famous, she’d had other run-ins with the bus driver. Rosa had vowed to never ride his bus again. Her circumstances that one fateful night changed her mind about this vow and her name lives on in history now because she chose to get on the bus.

6. People Threatened To Bomb Her House

There were a lot of people who didn’t like the changes that equality would bring to the United States. As the laws began to change, so did the attitudes towards African-Americans like Rosa. Many people in the civil rights movement at their homes bombed and Rosa had hers threatened. She and her husband decided to move to Michigan in 1957 to prevent this from happening.

7. She Has Won Many Awards

Rosa has been granted to top awards from the United States. She has been awarded the Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Through all of the attention, Rosa did her best to stay humble. She worked as a secretary and seamstress throughout her life and wrote her autobiography in 1992.

Rosa Parks is an influential figure in the world of US civil rights. By knowing these facts about her, you can become inspired to do your own great things.