Rosa Parks: A Detailed Biography

Rosa Louise McCauley Parks (1913–2005) was the civil rights icon whose refusal to give up her bus seat on December 1, 1955, sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott and became a defining moment of the American civil rights movement. Known as “the mother of the freedom movement”, her quiet courage galvanised a generation. This biography covers her Alabama childhood, lifelong activism, the 1955 arrest, boycott, later years, and enduring legacy, as documented by the Rosa Parks National Historic Site, the Encyclopaedia Britannica, and the Library of Congress.

Early Life in Alabama

Birth in Tuskegee

Born Rosa Louise McCauley on February 4, 1913, in Tuskegee, Alabama, to carpenter James McCauley and teacher Leona Edwards. After her parents separated, she grew up on her grandparents’ farm in Pine Level, as detailed by the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute.

Marriage and Early Activism

In 1932 she married barber and activist Raymond Parks. They joined the Montgomery NAACP; Rosa became chapter secretary in 1943 and worked on voter registration drives, as documented by the History.com.

The Bus Incident (December 1, 1955)

On a crowded Montgomery bus, driver James Blake ordered Parks and three others to give up their seats in the “colored” section for white passengers. The others complied; Parks refused. Arrested for violating segregation laws, she was fined $14. Her calm defiance — “No” was all she said — ignited the boycott, as preserved by the National Park Service.

Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955–1956)

The Women’s Political Council and Black ministers organised a city-wide boycott. A 26-year-old Martin Luther King Jr. became spokesman. For 381 days, 40,000 African Americans walked, carpooled, or took Black-owned cabs. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled bus segregation unconstitutional in November 1956, as chronicled by the King Institute at Stanford.

Life After Montgomery

Death threats forced the Parks family to move to Detroit in 1957. Rosa worked as a seamstress and later as aide to Congressman John Conyers (1965–1988). She co-founded the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development in 1987.

Personal Life

Rosa and Raymond had no children. Raymond died of cancer in 1977. Rosa suffered from dementia in later years and died peacefully in her sleep.

Death and Legacy

Rosa Parks’s Enduring Impact

Rosa Parks died on October 24, 2005, aged 92. She became the first woman to lie in state at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. The Rosa Parks Bus at the Henry Ford Museum is a national treasure. Her act of defiance remains a global symbol of peaceful resistance, as celebrated by the BBC.

Frequently Asked Questions About Rosa Parks

Why Is Rosa Parks Famous?

For refusing to give up her bus seat in 1955, sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Did Rosa Parks Say ‘My Feet Were Tired’?

No — she said she was “tired of giving in.”

Where Was Rosa Parks Born?

Tuskegee, Alabama, February 4, 1913.

Was Rosa Parks the First to Refuse Her Seat?

No — but her case was chosen for maximum impact.

What Happened After Rosa Parks’ Arrest?

The 381-day Montgomery Bus Boycott began.

Did Rosa Parks Win a Nobel Prize?

No — but she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and Congressional Gold Medal.

How Did Rosa Parks Die?

Natural causes on October 24, 2005, aged 92.