Rosa Parks Day facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rosa Parks Day |
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  Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus that made her notable
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| Observed by | United States (California, Missouri, Ohio, and Oregon) |
| Type | Secular |
| Significance | in honor of Rosa Parks, a civil rights activist |
| Date | February 4 (California and Missouri) or December 1 (Ohio and Oregon and San Antonio, TX) |
| Frequency | Annual |
Rosa Parks Day is a special holiday in the United States. It honors Rosa Parks, a brave leader in the Civil Rights Movement. Some states celebrate it on her birthday, February 4. Other states celebrate it on December 1, the day she was arrested. This day reminds us of her courage and fight for fairness.
The idea for Rosa Parks Day began in California. The state legislature created it, and it was first celebrated in 2000. Ohio also recognized the day early on, thanks to people like Joyce Beatty. The bus system in Columbus, Ohio, even holds a special tribute.
Later, other states joined in. In 2014, Governor Jay Nixon made it official in Missouri. That same year, Governor John Kitzhaber announced that Oregon would celebrate it too. Most recently, in 2021, Texas also recognized December 1 as Rosa Parks Day. There are now talks about making Rosa Parks Day a national holiday, like Juneteenth.
Who Was Rosa Parks?
Rosa Parks was born on February 4, 1913. She worked as a seamstress, which means she made clothes. She was also a secretary for the local chapter of the NAACP. The NAACP is an organization that works for equal rights for all people.
Long before her famous arrest, Rosa Parks had a bad experience on a city bus. The driver, James F. Blake, told her to get on through the back door. Then he drove away without her. After that day, Rosa Parks decided she would never ride a bus driven by him again.
The Day She Said "No"
In 1955, Rosa Parks attended a special course. It was about "Race Relations" and how to use peaceful protest to make changes. On December 1, 1955, she was riding a city bus in Montgomery, Alabama. She was sitting in the first row where Black people were allowed to sit.
When a white man got on the bus, the driver told everyone in her row to move back. At that moment, Rosa Parks realized it was the same driver, James F. Blake. While others moved, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat. She was arrested for not obeying the driver's orders. She was found guilty and fined, but she decided to appeal the decision.
The Montgomery Bus Boycott
Rosa Parks' brave action sparked a huge protest called the Montgomery Bus Boycott. This event was a very important part of the Civil Rights Movement. It was a protest against the unfair rule of racial segregation on public buses in Montgomery, Alabama. Segregation meant that Black and white people were kept separate, and Black people were treated unfairly.
The boycott started on December 1, 1955, the day Rosa Parks was arrested. It lasted for 381 days, which is over a year! Many important civil rights leaders, like Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and Ralph Abernathy, helped organize it.
The people of Montgomery refused to ride the buses. They walked, rode bikes, or carpooled instead. This made the bus company lose a lot of money. Finally, a federal court ruled that segregated buses were against the law. This ruling made segregation on buses unconstitutional and illegal. The Montgomery Bus Boycott showed the power of peaceful protest and helped change unfair laws.
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