10 Surprising Facts About the Civil Rights Activist Rosa Parks.

Rosa Parks (1913—2005) started a major part of the civil rights movement in the United States when she refused to give up her seat to a white man on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955.

Her brave action encouraged the local Black community to begin the Montgomery Bus Boycott, led by the young Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The boycott went on for over a year, during which Parks lost her job, and it ended only when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that separating people on buses by race was illegal.

Parks became a famous symbol of courage and determination in the battle to end racial segregation.

Rosa Parks Wasn’t the First to Defy Bus Segregation

While Rosa Parks is famously known for her civil disobedience, she was not the first to challenge bus segregation. Nine months before Parks’ arrest, 15-year-old Claudette Colvin was arrested for the same act.

Parks even helped raise defense funds for Colvin. Other women like Aurelia Browder, Mary Louise Smith, and Susie McDonald also faced arrest for similar reasons before Parks. These four women later became plaintiffs in the landmark Browder v. Gayle case, which led the Supreme Court to declare bus segregation unconstitutional.

Parks’ Long History of Civil Rights Activism

Long before her iconic arrest, Rosa Parks was deeply involved in the civil rights movement. She joined the Montgomery chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1943 and served as the chapter’s secretary.

Parks was also an attendee at the Highlander Folk School in Tennessee, where she participated in workshops on social and economic justice.

Previous Encounters with the Bus Driver

Rosa Parks had a history with James Blake, the bus driver, before her famous arrest. In 1943, Blake ejected Parks from his bus when she refused to board through the back door after paying at the front. This experience led her to be cautious about which buses she boarded, avoiding any driven by Blake until her arrest in 1955.

The Spontaneity of Parks’ Protest

Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her seat was not planned. Although aware of the NAACP’s search for a test case against Jim Crow laws, Parks did not board the bus intending to get arrested. She was simply tired of the systemic oppression and decided to stand her ground that day, without realizing Blake was the driver.

Parks Was Not in a Whites-Only Section

Contrary to some beliefs, Parks was seated in the middle section of the bus, which was available to African Americans when not needed by white passengers. Only after the white section filled up, and a white passenger was left standing, did Blake demand Parks and three others vacate their seats.

Parks’ Defiance Was Not Due to Physical Fatigue

The myth that Parks refused to stand because she was physically tired is just that—a myth. In her autobiography, she clarifies that her resistance was a refusal to comply further with racial injustice, stating, “The only tired I was, was tired of giving in.”

Parks Faced Arrest Again

During the Boycott Weeks after her initial arrest, Parks was jailed again for her role in organizing the Montgomery Bus Boycott. She also faced numerous personal repercussions during this period, including losing her job and receiving death threats.

Forced to Move Due to Repercussions

The backlash from the boycott forced Parks to move from Montgomery. She lost her job, and her husband resigned from his after facing restrictions at work related to the boycott. They moved to Detroit, where Parks continued her activism and later worked for Congressman John Conyers, Jr.

Parks’ Historic National Recognition

Rosa Parks was the first woman to lie in honor at the U.S. Capitol following her death in 2005. Over 30,000 people paid their respects as her coffin was displayed in the rotunda.

Honoring Parks with Empty Bus Seats On the 50th anniversary of her arrest, several cities including New York and Washington, D.C., left seats behind their bus drivers empty to honor Parks’ act of defiance and her role in the civil rights movement.