The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks

Throughout her life, Parks maintained that her contributions to the civil rights movement paled in comparison to those of countless others who fought for social justice. She was proud of her personal heritage. Her grandfather was enslaved and held his children to ambitious standards. He had strong views about race and pursued activism. Her mother was an advocate for education who wanted her daughter to recognize the lack of freedoms that were available to her and to do something about it. Raymond Parks was also an activist, and his political views and passion drew her to him.

As news reporters drew attention to her refusal to stand on the bus, Parks gently reminded them that she was not the first to take a stand on a Montgomery bus, nor would she be the last. She spent 10 years fighting for social justice before that fateful day, and she spent the rest of her life continuing that work. Along the way, she met numerous people who contributed to the movement. Some, such as King and Malcolm X, were well-known; others, including Durr, Gray, and Baker, were less recognized. Many of her fellow activists—those who daily contributed to the cause through their donations, daily actions, and support—were unrecognized by history but formed what Theoharis calls a “constellation of resistance” (73).