Rosa Parks was born on February 4, 1913. Rosa Parks worked as a seamstress in Montgomery, Alabama. One day, December 1, 1955, on her way home from work, there were not enough seats for everyone on the bus. She was told to get up and give her seat to a white passenger. Rosa Parks refused and then was arrested for not giving up her seat. This was an important day, because it started a 381-day protest led by Martin Luther King, Jr, where 40,000 black people stopped using the bus system. Rosa Parks and her husband both lost their jobs during the boycott. Finally, the United States Supreme Court ruled that public buses could no longer have different sections for black and white people (segregation).
Rosa Parks Video
Activities
Follow the Leader
Discuss the traits of a good leader together. What makes a good leader? How does a leader act? What does a leader do? Have kids choose a leader and write an autobiography or profile about him or her. Encourage creativity, making posters or books, or illustrating their writing with photographs or drawings.
Campaign for Change
Discuss changes your kids would like to see in their school or community. They might want additional parks or playgrounds, safer streets, or a better recycling program in their neighborhood. Choose a cause together and find ways to get the word out. You can start a letter writing campaign to send to a message to your community’s leaders or start an organization that helps increase awareness. Help your kids become active, engaged members of their communities.
