Living History - Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks was a woman who grew up constantly facing racial discrimination and segregation, even from a very early age. For example, even as a child, Rosa had to walk to school for around eight miles. This is because black students were not allowed to use the school-bus transportation, like the white students were. I think that this part of Rosa's childhood could have affected her life-path, and choice to become a civil rights activist. She was bullied and harassed by white children, as well as severely discriminated by adults. Once, Rosa and her cousin went to buy an ice-cream cone at a local store, but the woman behind the counter refused to sell it to them, saying that ice-cream cones cannot be sold to black citizens. Often times during her career, Rosa would say that she was usually a very timid and calm person, but she decided to stand up to constant disrespect aimed towards her on 1955, when the bus incident happened. Another part of Rosa's upbringing that could ave affected her career was probably her maternal grandfather. He was a slave, who was beaten and starved by certain white authorities at a plantation he worked at. Despite the fact that he was never fond of whites, and forbid Rosa and her brother, Sylvester, to be friends with white children, he still taught them and thei rmother that all people were born equal, and that they should all be respected.
An interesting fact about Rosa Parks is that she grew up without her father for most of her childhood. Rosa's father worked as carpenter and he travelled around the country, building houses. Rosa was basically raised by her mother, who moved back to Pine Level, Alabama, after her husband refused to take a job which would require him to travel less, and be more with his family.