Rosa Parks is a vibrant civil rights activist in Tuskegee, Alabama. She has played an instrumental activist role ever since her youthful days in the course of fighting against racial segregation and discrimination in the society. One of the most remarkable role she has played towards fighting for equality is the act of refusing to offer her seat to a white passenger on a Montgomery bus that led to the a city-wide boycott. It is through her actions that the city was compelled to lift the discriminative law that fostered segregation in public buses. This is a clear demonstration of her active role in this worthwhile course.
Rosa is a true demonstration of will power towards change. Unlike many woman who were afraid to experience their displeasure to the laws and codes of the land, Rosa was not afraid to do exactly that. She experienced her opinion and views of which many African-Americans could relate with but had no confidence to express them in the public domain. Having been exposed to incidences of racial prejudice and discrimination while still at her tender age, Rosa Parks was committed to making life different for others who will come after her.
Rosa spent all her youthful years with her grandparents at Pine Level in Alabama. She saw her grandfather participate in movements against racial segregation as they marched the streets in protest. When she was of age, Rosa went to attend school in a segregated one-roomed school in Pine Level. The school lacked adequate supplies and resources required for effective learning as it was the case with white students who had new school buildings equipped with sufficient learning resources and a bus to take to school and back.
Rosa, being a black-American, had to contend with all these challenges that came with attending segregated schools. Her experience in school gave her a clear picture of what it was like to be segregated and judged by the mere fact of being black and not considering one’s potential and capabilities. Her past experience essentially contributed to a large extend in driving her ambitions, deep conviction and self-drive to fight against the unethical practice of racial segregation.
Rosa is referred to as a catalyst for social change owing to her exceptional social and public relation skills. She has the ability to mobilize people together and convince them to buy her opinions and ideas. She has a way of getting people around believe in her and in her manifestos through the way she articulated her ideas; in a simplistic yet profound manner. For this reason, she has been able to perfectly execute her duties in whatever activist and reforms group she took part in. Being both aggressive, and passionate about the course of freedom and above that having a good command of the language is what made Rosa a holistic leader with the ability to move masses towards her school thought and ideologies. She is committed to leave a legacy that will go down the memory lane for the efforts they collaboratively made to change the society and make it a better place than they found it. Her simple principles in life have made her cover milestones in as far as effecting positive change in the society is concerned. She believes in herself and the people she works with; this team spirit has in many instances yield positive feedback and great achievements in the course of impacting and changing lives.
Rosa’s contribution to civil rights issues and movements is remarkable for this reason she has is referred to as the “iron lady” for her staunch, unwavering believe in change. She joined the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and was one of the officials and influential decision makers in the team. She was dedicated to service and commitment to the ultimate course of attaining equality for all humanity in her term of office.
The epic of this struggle for civil rights came at the time when Rosa refused to give up her seat for a white passenger in the Montgomery, Alabama bus. Her actions depicted her “lioness” nature in her quest for equality. The Montgomery City Code required that all public transportation be segregated and the driver had the full mandate to execute the public transportation provision by law. A line in the middle of the bus served to separate the white passengers seating on the front side of the bus and the blacks at the back. In case the front section of the bus fills up the driver went ahead to push back the line separating the two groups and asked the black passengers to give up their seats. In this case, Rosa refused to comply by the codes and chose to remain seated.
The driver ordered Rosa, raising his voice, “hey! Why don’t you stand up and give way for the others to sit?” to which Rosa replied confidently, “I am not going to stand because I don’t see the need to. This is not right and I will not give away my seat”. The driver moved the mark separating the two sections and reiterated, “Don’t you see where you are supposed to sit? This is the transportation code of segregation to which you are obligated to abide by!” but Rosa would have none of that. The driver called the police and had her arrested. Recalling the incidence later on, Rosa stated that, “I refused to stand up for the white passengers not because I was physically tired but for the reason that I am tired of giving in to the segregation rules and codes.”
Her brave action is what resulted to a citywide boycott and provided the needed synergy to push for nationwide protests against the segregation of public facilities. Rosa Parks, against all odds, sparked a new era in the American quest for freedom and equality. The city of Montgomery had no option but to lift the law fostering segregation in public buses. Her heroine act awarded her great respect and accolades in a relentless fight for civil rights; she is acknowledged with NAACP’s highest award for her efforts as a catalyst for social change.
“Rosa is a lioness” in the course of fighting for reforms. She has made a significant impact in the course of attaining civil rights and the equal treatment of both the whites and African-Americans without segregation.
