Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Rosa Parks
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Rosa Parks made an impact.
Rosa Parks, an American activist, played a crucial role in the civil rights movement, most notably sparking the Montgomery bus boycott. Her refusal to give up her seat to a white passenger on a segregated bus in 1955 led to her arrest and the subsequent boycott, a watershed moment in the fight against racial segregation. Parks became an enduring symbol of resistance and is revered as "the first lady of civil rights" and "the mother of the freedom movement" by the U.S. Congress for her courageous act and lasting impact.
1941: Parks Begins Working at Maxwell Air Force Base
In 1941, Rosa Parks started working at Maxwell Air Force Base, where she experienced an integrated environment that contrasted sharply with the segregation she faced elsewhere.
December 1943: Parks Elected Secretary of Montgomery NAACP
In December 1943, Rosa Parks was elected secretary of the Montgomery chapter of the NAACP, taking on a key role in the fight for civil rights.
1943: Parks Becomes NAACP Activist
In 1943, Rosa Parks became an activist in the NAACP, actively participating in high-profile civil rights campaigns.
1944: Parks Investigates Recy Taylor Case
In 1944, as secretary for the NAACP, Rosa Parks began investigating the gang rape of Recy Taylor, a Black woman from Abbeville.
December 4, 1955: Montgomery Bus Boycott Plans Announced
On Sunday, December 4, 1955, plans for the Montgomery bus boycott were announced at black churches, and an article in the Montgomery Advertiser helped spread the word, leading to the agreement to continue the boycott until certain demands were met.
1957: Parks Move to Hampton, Virginia
In 1957, Rosa and Raymond Parks moved to Hampton, Virginia, due to her inability to find work, disagreements with civil rights leaders, and constant death threats. She took a job as a hostess at Hampton Institute.
1958: King's Book on Parks' Arrest
In 1958, Martin Luther King Jr. wrote in his book Stride Toward Freedom that Rosa Parks' arrest served as the catalyst, not the cause, for the Montgomery Bus Boycott, highlighting the deep-seated injustices faced by African Americans.
1965: Parks Begins Working for John Conyers
In 1965, Rosa Parks began working as a secretary and receptionist for U.S. Representative John Conyers, a position she held until 1988.
1980: Parks Rededication to Civil Rights
In 1980, widowed and without immediate family, Rosa Parks rededicated herself to civil rights and educational organizations.
February 1987: Co-founding of the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute
In February 1987, Rosa Parks co-founded the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development with Elaine Eason Steele.
1988: Parks Ends Work with John Conyers
In 1988, Rosa Parks ended her service as secretary and receptionist for U.S. Representative John Conyers.
1988: Parks' Retirement from Conyers' Office
In 1988, Rosa Parks retired from her position as a secretary and receptionist in John Conyers' congressional office in Detroit, where she focused on socio-economic issues and community activism.
1992: Publication of "Rosa Parks: My Story"
In 1992, Rosa Parks published "Rosa Parks: My Story," an autobiography aimed at younger readers, recounting her life leading up to her decision on the bus.
1995: Publication of "Quiet Strength"
In 1995, Rosa Parks published "Quiet Strength," her memoir focusing on her faith.
