A civil rights pioneer's journey to justice -- which
began on a bus -- culminated on June 15, 1999, when she was presented with the
Congressional Gold Medal. This award, the highest honor that the United States
government can bestow upon an individual, was given to the person recognized
by many as the "mother of the modern-day Civil Rights Movement."
More than 40 years
ago, on December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to surrender her seat to a white
male passenger on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus. Her courage and fortitude resulted
in a 381-day boycott of the city bus line and, ultimately, the U.S. Supreme
Court's ruling in November 1956 that segregation on public transportation is
unconstitutional.
Born on February
4, 1913 in Tuskegee, Alabama, to James and Leona McCauley, Mrs. Parks grew up
in the segregated society that she would later help topple. Along with her late
husband Raymond, Mrs. Parks was an activist long before that fateful day in
1955. As the secretary and youth leader of the local branch of the National
Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), she protested the
segregation laws and championed for voting rights.
One of Mrs. Parks'
proudest accomplishments is the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development,
which she co-founded with Ms. Elaine Eason Steele in February 1987 in Detroit,
Michigan. Established in honor of Mr. Parks, the institute motivates and directs
youth to achieve their highest potential. The organization's "Pathways
to Freedom" program joins young people aged 11 to 17, Mrs. Parks and other
national leaders as they trace the underground railroad and landmarks of the
Civil Rights Movement.
Voted by Time
magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century, Mrs.
Parks was honored in September 1998 with the dedication of the Rosa L. Parks
Learning Center in Michigan. A museum and library are being built in her honor
in Montgomery, Alabama and will open this year.
Mrs. Parks sees
the energy of young people as a real force for change. This theme is one she
emphasizes as she speaks to young people around the world.
