The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks

“When I learned that we, my family, were Negroes, it caused me to think that throughout my life I’d have to prove myself as something other than a beast.”

Parks was rooted in activism from an early age. Her mother instilled in her a sense of dignity and pride, and her grandfather taught her that she was living in a world that needed to change. For her, activism was an inheritance. She knew she would devote her life to making life better for Black Americans.

“One of the lessons Leona McCauley imparted that lodged in young Rosa’s head was how ‘slaves had to fool the white people into thinking that they were happy. The white people would get angry if the slaves acted unhappy. They would also treat the slaves better if they thought the slaves liked white people.’ As she became aware of the terms of white supremacy, the fact that acting happy produced better treatment stuck in her throat. She longed for ways to contest this treatment.”

Parks remembered this lesson throughout her life. She resented the idea that she must present a face of contentment and satisfaction in front of white people to stay safe. Parks believed that sometimes a little forcefulness was needed. She also recognized how the focus of the press on the South allowed the racism of the North to be ignored. In Detroit, Parks was angry with city officials’ widespread belief that Black Detroiters should be happy their lives were so much better in comparison to life in other places. The reality of the living and working conditions in Detroit was dire, and Parks was not interested in pretending otherwise.

“Rosa’s grandmother was trying to teach her a lesson about the cost and terms of survival. And Rosa would constantly have to balance these two forces: militancy could get a person killed and yet resistance, however dangerous, pushed back on the oppression and at times made it diminish.”

This lesson learned after pushing back at discrimination stayed with Parks for the rest of her years. It was this understanding that drew her to the words of Malcolm X. The two each had a spirit that was unwilling to submit fully to nonviolence in the face of absolute resistance.