Leadership 1

Who Inspires Me?

Rosa Parks

Who is Rosa Parks?

Rosa Parks is a Civil Rights activist who, on December 1, 1955, decided to disobey a
bus driver by refusing to move from her seat. Rosa was sitting in the colored section of the
bus, as she was supposed to, but there wasnt enough seats for the white people. The bus
driver asked her to move so that a white person could have a seat, but she refused.
Because of her refusal , she was arrested shortly after she refused to move. Rosas act, the
Montgomery Bus Boycott, became an important symbol of the Civil Rights Movement. After
her act, she became an icon to racial segregation. Parks acted as a private citizen tired of
giving up. Yes, she was honored for her action years after, but she also had consequences,

even if the act was a big part in American History. She was fired from her job as a
seamstress and received many death threats years after. Today she is known as the
mother of the freedom movement. After the Boycott, she moved to Detroit and started to
work as a secretary. After she retired, Rosa wrote an autobiography. Rosa then died in 2005
on October 24. She was the first woman to officially lie in honor at the Capitol Rotunda.

Why did I choose Rosa Parks?

I chose Rosa Parks because I think that she was a great leader in history and was
very brave to stick up for what she believes in. I believe that even if her actions could have
affected the world in a negative way, it was worth the risk because of that 50% chance of
changing the world. By Rosa taking that chance, she changed history by one simple action.
Women are sometimes viewed weaker than men but Rosa proved those people wrong by
doing what she believes and giving a shot on the world and putting herself and her opinion
out there.
Yes there are many other historians who changed the world, but I chose Rosa
because she stood up for her race and changed the point of view for many people. Rosa
didnt only disobey a bus driver, she basically disobeyed all white people who believed
african american people shouldnt be treated the same as white races. Rosa changed the
lives of all african american people and gave them and their family the equality that all
people deserve. Now, in present day, african american people share the same rights as
white people, and thats how everything should have been in the past. Without Rosa, we
could still have separated bathrooms, schools, and everything they separated in the past. If
Rosa was alive today, I would thank her for taking a risk and for sticking up for what she
believes in.

Background on Rosa Parks

Rosa grew up in Tuskegee, Alabama on February 4, 1913 and her original name was
Rosa Louise McCauley. Rosa was repeatedly bullied by white kids in her neighborhood.
Rosa said As far back as I can remember, I could never think in terms of accepting physical
abuse without some form of retaliation if possible.