It is Black History month and I have not honored someone for Black History Month! For those who do not know, Black History Month is also known as African-American History Month in America. It is an annual observance in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom for remembrance of important people and events in the history of the African diaspora. It is celebrated annually in the United States and Canada in February, and the United Kingdom in October.
I will be honoring Rosa Parks. Rosa was born on February 4, 1913, Rosa Parks's childhood brought her early experiences with racial discrimination and activism for racial equality. After her parents separated, Rosa's mother moved the family to Pine Level, Alabama to live with her parents, Rose and Sylvester Edwards—both former slaves and strong advocates for racial equality; the family lived on the Edwards' farm, where Rosa would spend her youth. In one experience, Rosa's grandfather stood in front of their house with a shotgun while Ku Klux Klan members marched down the street.
Rosa Park’s infamous for The Montgomery City Code. The code was required that all public transportation be segregated and that bus driver had the "powers of a police officer of the city while in actual charge of any bus for the purposes of carrying out the provisions" of the code. While operating a bus, drivers were required to provide separate but equal accommodations for white and black passengers by assigning seats. This was accomplished with a line roughly in the middle of the bus separating white passengers in the front of the bus and African-American passengers in the back.When an African-American passenger boarded the bus, they had to get on at the front to pay their fare and then get off and reboard the bus at the back door. When the seats in the front of the bus filled up and a white passengers got on, the bus driver would move back the sign separating black and white passengers and, if necessary, ask black passengers give up their seat.
Rosa Park showed everyone that black lives do indeed matter. She had the bus boycotted because she believed any black man or woman including herself should not have to give up what seat for anyone, not of color. Rosa was arrested on December 1st of 1955. The police arrested Rosa at the scene and charged her with violation of Chapter 6, Section 11, of the Montgomery City Code. She was taken to police headquarters, where, later that night, she was released on bail. Her protest with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made a difference. They made their voice be heard.
Last, because Rosa refused to give up her seat and showed everyone that black lives do matter. Her protest lives on. No man or woman should have to give up anything or be a judge because of they have color on their skin. Rosa may have died on October 24th, 2005, but because of Rosa Parks and many others we can still protest rights today and show that Black Lives do Matter. Thank you, Rosa Parks! ("Rosa Parks." Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, 18 Feb. 2016. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.)
