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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.

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.

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.

I was really excited to have come across this document. It is a primary source from the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA), written shortly after bus segregation was deemed unconstitutional in 1956. The text reads as a list, for those who followed the MIA, on how to continue to act and conduct themselves in light of the recent changes to law. One line stands out, "Demonstrate the calm dignity of our Montgomery people in your actions." It makes me think of Ms. Parks in the image that was taken, and keeping in mind how it had been said before that she was of outstanding character, the quote resonates with me in that I see her as something of a model for everyone else to follow at the time.

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.

Today, we can look back and say: "It was worth it." However, be sure to know that the effort Rosa Parks made was changed many things in the world. Locally, it gave African Americans rights. It eliminated segregation between whites and blacks, it reduced the lynching of blacks by racial organizations. (i.e. Ku Klux Klan) Rosa Parks actions enacted law protecting the civil rights of African Americas and later on served as basis of creating more laws, even as far as protecting women's rights. Even though many things have changed and many bottles have been fought and won; we still are not there. Thank you Rosa Parks for your courage in really trouble times.