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This copy of the actual arrest record for civil rights activist Rosa Parks brings a realism of her struggle and her stand and her great courage. Seeing her physical fingerprint card and arrest record brings a sense the dedication she had for the civil rights cause.

Here is a site dedicated to the life of civil rights icon Rosa Parks. In viewing many of the photos of her later in life, one can get a sense of how powerful a symbol of protest she became. Seeing her posing with some of the world's most important people speaks volumes to how truly powerful and inspirational her stand against racial injustice was.

The US Supreme Court to the case of Rosa Park's, actually never got a chance to hear Mrs. Park's case. Rosa Park's was arrested on charges of misdemeanor disorderly conduct, and appeared before judge John B Scoot. Her lawyer Fred Gray, immediately filled an appeal, but then realized that her case would not be upheld in the Alabama court system for years. Although Mrs. Park's case did not make it to the Supreme Court, her experience on the Montgomery Bus, largely aided the African American community to organize the bus boycott.  Four attorney's decided on a strategy in dealing with the bus segregation issues. Fred Gray, Thurgood Marshall, Robert Carter and Charles Langford, with a plan of action approached three other women (Aurelia Browder, Claudette Colvin, Susie McDonald and Mary Louise Smith). These women had also experienced abuse form the Montgomery bus system.  The women became plaintiffs in a federal civil action law against the city and Mayor W.A. Gayle. Affirming the District Court ruling without issuing a written opinion, the US Supreme Court denied the cities petition. Racial segregation on buses within state boundaries became outlawed, the city of Montgomery received an official order to desegregate buses in 1956. Although the four attorneys, and including the other four women may have provided legal change, this write up point out how Mrs. Park's determination, dignity and courage catalyzed the national Civil Rights Movement.  Heidi Beckles 

It takes a lot of courage to stand up for something that is morally right, especially in a time when standing for what's right was not popular, due to the results that would follow after. Rosa Parks in the year of 1955, as many know it, kept sitting to stand up for what's right, and furthermore human rights. Although she was jailed and fined, her bravery helped society in many ways, like the end of the segregated transportation law posed by Jim Crow. Mrs. Parks did not care about the odds against her nor the criticism; in an era of ample bias against people of color. This sites content is useful in exploring week two's image of race in America, because it places focus on how change "can" happen with just one person, in the toughest of social times. A focus on courage not just for self help but for all (as Mrs. Parks was a member of the NAACP; an organization up in arms with the Jim Crow laws) who were the victims and the conscious or unconscious offenders, a social movement that was another zenith to the ascent of man. Heidi Beckles

This site is a publication in which uses an excerpt from the book Free At Last: The U.S. Civil Rights Movement. This excerpt focuses on Rosa Parks, who's also known as the Mother of Civil Rights. This site provides us with a brief biography of Rosa's life. It speaks of her role in Montgomery Bus Boycott and what shaped her as a child to become a quiet activist. Later in life, Parks was acknowledged and presented with an award by President Bill Clinton. When Parks died in 2005, her body was approved by Congress to rotunda of the US Capitol. Parks is the first women, second black person, and the 31st person granted this honor.

This website revolves around the recent unveiling of Rosa Parks' statue in the Capitol. The bronze statue is modeled after the iconic picture of Rosa on the bus, with her hands folded in her lap, and is the first African-American woman to be immortalized in such a fashion. The website, although it only focuses on this one event, is useful in exploring the original image because it shows us just how much of a profound impact Rosa Parks made that fateful day 58 years ago. It reminds us that no matter how much time elapses, moments are forever remembered and honored.

Did you know that Rosa Parks was not the first woman to refuse to give up her seat to a white passenger? This link is the biography of Claudette Colvin who at the age of fifteen (That's right, 15) refused to give up her seat for a white passenger in Montgomery Alabama. The reason her arrest was not used by National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was because of her age and the fact that she got pregnant around the same time she got arrested. Claudette's incident happened nine months before the better known Rosa Parks incident.

Here, The Guardian presents a gallery of photos that Walker Evans took during his travel from Alabama to New York City while documenting life during the Great Depression. These photos are available in a solo exhibition until January 26, 2014 at the MoMA.

Here is the portrait of the Lucille Burroughs, daughter of Allie Mae Burroughs, taken by Walker Evans.  This gives a little more information into the lives and struggles and eventual history of the Burroughs family who were depression era share croppers in Hale county Alabama.  

This website is a textbook alternative, and presents key points as well as a variety of information in the format of a chapter overview and/or summary. In this case, it is pinpointing the expansion of the Civil Rights Movement and the Gay and Lesbian Rights movements which were seeking acceptance and equality for the LGBT community.

This site gives a little background on the photographer, Diana Davies who documented the 1970 Christopher Street Gay Pride march. She was known for documenting many causes and festivals during her career as a photographer. Her photographs provide a historical documentation of the early days of the Gay Rights movement.

Along with gay rights is also HIV/AIDS education. Many organization have practiced HIV/AIDS empowerment, education and research. This is especially important leading into the twenty-first century.

American women have struggled historically against certain paradigms of inferiority that all women experience. The female identity is different according to each culture and their customs, but many cultures are based on a patriarchal past where men exercise more power than women. Women worldwide experience subjugation in the form of jobs, education, sexuality and reproductive choice. American women have strived to overcome these stereotypes and have gained a position of near equality in many societal constructs. In the United States today, men and women enjoy almost equal social standing. Women can and do vote, own businesses, hold political office and have a full spectrum of rights. Even though they hold powerful jobs and play valuable roles in a variety of social constructs, the paradigm of the American housewife still exist. With the above mentioned it is important to know that western culture is prevalent worldwide and imposes both the positive feminist ideals and the conflicting negative media messages on third world and developing countries. The impact of Western culture in the specific realm of feminism and female stereotypes globally establish common goals and difficulties for all women. As a dominant culture, the United States must be aware of the media messages it shares with the rest of the world and the examples it promotes as not all are accommodating with other cultures. This site is useful in exploring the image because it paints exactly what the poster of Donna Gottschalk holds, denying women equality, but at the same time practicing America's freedom of speech and expression, forbidden by women in many countries. It's funny that women worldwide continue to experience subjugation in the form of jobs, education, sexuality and reproductive choice. Those countries worldwide that strive to be like us, from a moral point of view should without a doubt accommodate all positives attributes that the America culture places impact, leading to

This msn news article discusses the current climate of homosexuality in the United States. It highlights the many progressive steps that have been take throughout this year toward equality in marriage and in the workplace for the gay community. The article focuses on the impact of the gay rights movement in the political arena. Including the public announcement of several gay politicians, the article suggests that Republicans are slowly trying to gain popularity with LGBT rights supporters, even though considered to be a conservative party. This article connects to the photograph of Donna Gottschalk and the gay liberation movement by making readers aware of the changes that have occurred, fueled by those who participated in the parade over 40 years ago.