Rosa parks biography 1955 lincoln

Rosa Parks is best known for refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955, which sparked a yearlong boycott that was a turning point in the civil rights movement.

However, there was much more to Parks' life. Born in Alabama in 1913, she grew up in a segregated world that constantly exposed her to discrimination. Before her defiant act on that bus, she'd already fought back against injustice by joining the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and investigating crimes committed against Black people.

After the bus boycott, Parks continued to participate in the civil rights movement.

She attended the March on Washington in 1963 and in 1965 witnessed the signing of the Voting Rights Act. Her later years saw Parks' work recognized with the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal.

The following timeline covers notable events and