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This short essay explains why the NAACP decided to use Rosa Parks' case to advance the Civil Rights movement rather than others before her. Parks was not the first to refuse to give up her seat to a white person, but she was a good candidate for the fight. As in everything political, image is everything. Parks had a better image than a poor unwed pregnant teen or a poor high school dropout working as a maid.

Months prior to Parks arrest for civil disobedience, four other women had been arrested for refusing to give up their seat on a bus as well. One of the more well-known women of the group was 15 year old Claudette Colvin who like Parks was involved with the NAACP - Colvin was a mentee of Parks. Originally the boycott and civil action case was to be centered around Colvin until it was discovered that she was pregnant and had trouble keeping composed when upset. Parks arrest was chosen to launch a challenge against segregation laws due to her impeccable character and reputation. Colvin and the three other women, Aurelia Browder, Susie McDonald, and Mary Louise Smith re-emerged when they agreed to file a civil action on February 1, 1956. The outcome of this civil action was a panel of three judges agreed 'that Montgomery segregation codes "deny and deprive plaintiffs and other Negro citizens similarly situated of the equal protection of the laws and due process of law secured by the Fourteenth Amendment."'

This Smithsonian site is a great place to get lots of information about many different subjects-including Rosa Parks arrest for riding in an "unauthorized" area of a bus. The details of the arrest record of Mrs. Parks and the (now historical) copies of her fingerprints together with a detailed diagram of the scene of her "crime" are astonishing to see.

This website gives a comprehensive overview of the event that made Rosa Parks famous; her refusal to continue to follow the established rules that she should sit at the back of the bus. The site not only talks about the event itself but also contains much information about Rosa Parks including a video and biography of this iconic figure.

This website provides more context and background to the infamous moment on the Montgomery bus captured in the initial image shown. The lore states that Parks refused to give up the seat because her feet were tired after a long day of working but in reality, she was aware of plans of local activists to challenge the bus laws. Her arrest propelled the civil rights movement forward and resulted in a year long bus boycott. This website presents Rosa Parks angle differently than most others tend to. It's interesting to see her described as a part of the movement as opposed to someone who just happened to be somewhere.

The Rosa Parks Facts website is a thorough, overall location where one can find out anything about Rosa Parks. There is a link to information regarding her home, pictures, video, biography, timeline, early years, later years, her part in the Civil Rights Movement, her arrest, books, quotes, and even a search option to ask any question regarding Rosa Parks. This is a "one-stop-shop" where one can research anything regarding Rosa Parks. Toward the bottom of the page, there are also links to other Civil Rights figures: Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, and a Barack Obama biography.

This website presents a brief of overview of Rosa Parks historical arrest. During the civil rights movement Ms. Parks chose to sit in a seat on the bus that was not designated for black people. She chose to practice civil disobedience and assert what she felt was her right to be seated wherever she pleased. This website provides another image related to the initial class image, it is an image of her being booked for the crime that she committed. There is a lot to the story and this website gives information about what happened after that moment on the bus.

This website talks about Rosa Parks humble beginnings ans how there were other supporters behind her who were willing to risk their lives to defending the cause. Some of these supporters were 'white.' Clifford and Virginia Durr, encouraged Rosa Parks to go to school and sponsored the long stay. This was the basis for learning who to strategically protest without being or using violence. Then, the real meaning is that Rosa Parks was the front person for other people who believe in equality, and the freedom of other. Rosa Parks endured a great deal of problems for her action, some of them legal, Rosa Parks violated the 'white law of segregation", but it was well worth it. The world benefited.

Rosa Parks was inducted into the Academy of Achievement in 1995. This website gives a brief biography and highlights regarding Rosa Parks. She lived from 1913 to 2005, passing away at the age of 92. December 01, 1955, was a major turning point for the Civil Rights Movement when Rosa Parks would not give up her seat on the bus to a white passenger. As a result, she was arrested and fined. However, this incident led to the formation of the Montgomery Improvement Association, which was led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. They called for a boycott of the city-owned bus company, which lasted for 382 days, and ultimately resulted in racial segregation being outlawed on public transportation.

I appreciate the simplicity in the naming of this website.  "Iconic photos" is a blog of just that: iconic photos.  What better place to look for our photograph of Rosa Parks?  In addition to a photo itself, this website also provides some background information on each of the photographs as well.  The page dedicated to our class photo begins with Parks herself speaking in a personal quote about what drove her to refuse to give up her seat.  The site explains how this specific photo was not a candid shot, but posed. 

The Anna Julia Cooper Project website in dedicated to encouraging discussion about gender, race, and culture, with a particular emphasis on the role women have played throughout history.  To find out more about Anna Julia Cooper, a civil rights advocate herself, you can read her bio in the "about Anna Julia Cooper" section of the site. The link above is from a portion of the website celebrating the 50th anniversary of the march on Washington. It includes a biography of Parks, and includes insights into her life that may dispel myths about her personality and character.  The biography shows us that Rosa Parks's journey for racial equality began as a young child.  You may find this site interesting as it provides examples of Parks' other works unrelated to her famous bus sit in.  This knowledge altered my perception of the famed photograph, adding strength and confidence to her persona.

This website is a great Quick Facts snapshot of information regarding Rosa Parks with a 4.5 minute biography video. This website contains sections of a Synopsis, Civil Rights Pioneer, Early Life and Education, Ordered to the Back of the Bus, Montgomery Bus Boycott, Racial Discrimination, and Death and Legacy. There is also a photo gallery and videos, quotes and a "Best Known For" section which states that Rosa Parks was best known for her refusal to give up a seat on the bus to a white passenger, which spurred the Montgomery boycott and other efforts to end racial segregation.

The following website lists the events surrounding Parks' arrest and that of the bus strike in chronological order, which can be helpful in making sense of the order in which things took place. This site in particular is very good for understanding the bus strike that took place only days after Parks' arrest in terms of understanding context and how much work and effort strike organizer's and participants went through to see that the strike would be successful. I was surprised to have learned about the lengths the Black community went through to see the strike be successful -carpooling, discounted taxi rides, regular meetings to discuss the state of the strike. Now having read the material hosted at this site, I look at the photograph and wonder if Parks had any idea what was come, what had been set in motion.

This site lists ten things that you (we) likely may not know about Rosa Parks: 1) she had been thrown off the bus by the same bus driver; 2) she was a life-long believer in self-defense; 3) her husband was her political partner; 4) many of her ancestors were Indian; 5) her arrest had a grave effect on her family's health and economic well-being; 6) needing to leave Montgomery eight months after the boycott ended, she spent the majority of her life in the North; 7) after two decades of political work, she received her first paid political position in 1965; 8)she was far more radical than had been understood; 9) she was an internationalist; and 10) she was a life-long hero and activist to Nelson Mandela.

Ever wonder what happened to the bus in which Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on December 01, 1955? It was found deteriorating, rusted, with broken or missing windows, and no engine or seats in a field. In 2002, Save America's Treasures awarded the Henry Ford Museum $205,000 federal challenge grant to restore the bus to its 1955 appearance. The restoration was successful and today it is boarded by (up to) thousands of visitors per day.

As I was a big fan of the Scholastic book club flyers that I would receive in school, I was excited to see what their website had to offer.  The website contains resources for educators and young readers alike with sections dedicated to teachers, students, and librarians.  The site encourages literacy with the use of bold and colorful images.  The famed photo of Rosa Parks can be found in the section of the website entitled "Culture and Change: Black History in America."  Here, we see several pages dedicated to pivotal moments in Parks's life.  If you click on "court ruling" you will see the photograph.  This page informs us that the day after the segregation laws are deemed unconstitutional, Parks is accompanied by Martin Luther King, Jr. onto a city bus.  This shows us the magnitude of Parks's contribution to the cause.

I love NPR!  For those of you who do not know NPR stands for National Public Radio: an organization delivering news over the airwaves, and now in many other waves as well.  I have the application for my iPad and absolutely love it.  This webpage is a memorial dedicated to the life of Rosa Parks at the time of her death in 2005.  Here you cannot only read about her accomplishments, but hear Mrs. Parks' voice from several recorded interviews.  Simply click on "Remembrance by Cheryl Corley" and a media player will appear and begin playing the broadcast.

This is a short interview with Rosa Parks. In watching this interview, we are afforded the opportunity to hear from Ms. Parks herself as she gives her account of the day of her arrest. She gives the viewer a feel for the climate of things back then, though it is a more general rather than detailed idea. If anything, this interview adds life to the photo and is a chance for us to hear a firsthand account.

This is an excerpt from a book titled "The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks". The details are exceptional as she tells the story of segregation and racism in the 50's. She goes on to tell a detailed story of what happened on December 1st, 1955, noting that she had issues with the particular bus driver before and his attempt to humiliate her and other African-Americans.It includes issues on women rights as well, noting that Mrs. Parks intentions were not only in regard to racism, but in regard to being a woman since it was not the norm for a woman to ever give up her seat for a man.

This website retraces the events of the day as pictured in the photograph. Not only does it go over the event in which Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat, but it also discusses the bus strike of 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama. Details are also provided of the organization behind the strike, Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA), along with a brief explanation of Dr. Martin Luther King's and Ralph Abernathy's involvement. There is also a short summary of the resulting court decision on segregated busing in 1956, along with an example of the sort of pamphlets that were circulated at the time to announce the bus strike back in 1955. This site serves to provide not only a brief, yet well rounded explanation of this photo's history, but gives us an understanding of who was behind the strike as well as what resulted from their effort.