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Should we treat everyone equally, no matter what their skin color is?
Reading Time: 4 minutes | Age Limit: 9-12 | Country Origin: United States
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“Rosa Parks: The Power of One Stand”
Meet the trailblazer:
One tired woman. One powerful “No.” When Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus in 1955, she sparked a protest that changed American history. This is the story of how quiet courage, determination, and the fight for fairness helped end segregation—and showed the world that one person’s stand can move millions.
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Equal Rights in Every Seat
Should we treat everyone equally, no matter what their skin color is?
On a cold December day in 1955, a hardworking African American seamstress, boarded a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. She was tired, but more than that, she was tired of unfair rules based on one’s skin color.
She sat in a row behind the seats reserved for white passengers. Soon, the bus filled up, and white passengers were left standing. The bus driver told Rosa and three other Black passengers to give up their seats.
The others moved, but woman stayed. The driver asked, “Are you going to stand up?” She calmly said, “No.” The driver, shocked, called the police.
The African American woman was arrested for breaking segregation laws. She was taken to jail but was released soon after. Her quiet act of courage sparked something big.
The Black citizens of Montgomery decided to protest. They refused to ride the buses. Instead, they walked, cycled, or shared rides. The plan was for a short protest, but it lasted much longer.
Do you think it was fair to continue the Montgomery bus boycott for 381 days instead of stopping after just a few days as planned?
For over a year, despite bad weather and threats, Black citizens stayed strong. Their actions hurt the bus company’s business. Still, the city refused to change.
Finally, on November 13, 1956, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that bus segregation was unfair and illegal. A month later, buses were desegregated. The woman’s bravery had helped change the law!
But she and her family paid a price. They lost their jobs and faced threats. They had to leave Montgomery to start over. But the woman never stopped fighting for equal rights.
But she and her family paid a price. They lost their jobs and faced threats. They had to leave Montgomery to start over. But the woman never stopped fighting for equal rights.
Later in life, she explained that she wasn’t just tired from work that day –She he was tired of giving in. She wanted justice and fairness for everyone.
That brave African American woman who set in motion one of the largest social civil rights movements in history, the ‘Montgomery Bus Boycott” was Rosa Parks. Her quiet courage changed history. Rosa Parks showed that one brave act can change the world.
That brave African American woman who set in motion one of the largest social civil rights movements in history, the ‘Montgomery Bus Boycott” was Rosa Parks. Her quiet courage changed history. Rosa Parks showed that one brave act can change the world.
What important lesson can we learn from Rosa Parks standing up for her rights by refusing to give up her seat?
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“Rosa Parks: The Spark of a Movement”
Meet the icon:
Although Rosa Parks was not the first black person to challenge racial segregation which was legal under the brutal ‘Jim Crow laws,’ * her resistance set in motion one of the largest social civil rights movements in history, the ‘Montgomery Bus Boycott.’
On September 15, 1996, President Clinton awarded Rosa Parks the Presidential medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honour given by the U.S. government. After Rosa Parks died in 2005, at the age of 92, her casket was placed in the rotunda of the United States Capitol for two days, so the nation could pay its respects to the woman whose courage had changed the lives of so many. She was the first woman, and the second African American to lie in honour at the Capitol, a distinction usually reserved for Presidents of the United States.
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